Racism And Nigerians In Diaspora

By Paul Arhewe,
Online/Foreign Editor

Last Sunday another spate of maltreatment was meted out to some Nigerians living in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. This latest incident, like some past ones claimed the life of a Nigerian, while 32 other foreigners, mostly Nigerians were arrested.
The unfortunate Nigerian, Maxwell Itoya died of gun-shot injury, after police raided some Nigerian traders selling shoes at the bazaar at the Stadium in the Praga district of Warsaw. Maxwell was trying to intervene in the case of Police arrest and brutal treatment of another handcuffed Nigerian when he was shot in the stomach. Max, who had lived many years in Warsaw was legally married to Monika, a Polish woman, and has three children, aged 10, four, and two.

While Nigerian government through its foreign ministry has called for immediate and full inquiry into the killing of her citizen, Polish police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski said his country’s prosecutor’s office has already began investigation into the assault against a policeman, and would determine if the policeman had broken the law by firing his gun.
However, the Polish police was quick to give the media another version of the same story reporting that the ill-fated Nigerian was running away from patrol team, and was chased into the market place, where the policeman handcuffing him mistakenly shot him when mob protesting his arrest tried to besiege him. Even if this version is true, resisting arrest shouldn’t be a justification to take the life of a foreigner, especially in a highly racist country like Poland, where such incident would definitely be associated with xenophobic outburst. In Nigeria, hardly would there be an incident of police brutalising white foreigners; even though the Nigeria police are good at brutalising their own countrymen.

Definitely, it is expected the Polish police would have to defend themselves and blame the protesting mob. Sokolowski in defence of his colleagues said "This man could have been saved and police officers started to resuscitate him, but they were repeatedly attacked with stones by a group of foreigners and were forced to defend themselves, and had to stop the resuscitation". In civilised society of which Poland belongs, tear gas is usually used by police to disperse angry or protesting crowd not live bullets? If the victim was to be Polish citizen I dare say the police man wouldn’t shoot him to death.
A Nigerian named Caesar living in Warsaw, who claim to be an eyewitness to this deadly act in the marketplace, said the Polish police are usually brutal to blacks, and highly segregate against them. According to him, “this is the latest in a long line of police abuse and brutality towards blacks in this predominately racist country”. “The open air market place, which is referred to as Stadium, is made up of mainly Ukrainians and Vietnamese traders, but the biased report would have you believe that it is only Nigerians that were arrested and causing problems”, he added.
While the police and government should be apologising sincerely, they are busy prosecuting the 32 arrested foreigners. According to report, 25 out of those arrested would face charges of assaulting a police officer, which when found guilty would send them to prison for 10 years.
Nigerian government should do more than calling the Polish authorities to probe the case, like in previous similar incidents. Our government usually make statements, after which no further deliberations or actions are taken. Nigerian government, through its embassy in Warsaw, should follow thoroughly every phase of this particular probe.
Nothing has been heard again on Emmanuel Egisimba’s case. Egisimba died last year in Chinese town of Guangzhou after trying to avoid police brutality. He jumped headlong from a second floor shop and died. Hundreds of blacks’ after the death of Egisimba protested calling Nigerian government to intervene in the frequent maltreatments and molestations they face in this Asian country.
In another similar case, in 2008, a Nigerian businessman, Ojide Ekene, was said to be descending the steps leading to a subway metro station to look for some place to urinate when the security men accosted him and began to beat him. He was allegedly hit on the head with heavy iron battens, knocking him to the ground in a pool of his own blood.
But the Chinese consulate had said that Ekene fell on the staircase of Yulong building as he tried to run to urinate, adding that in the process he got a heavy hit on his head. Many of such dehumanising cases come up frequently, but Nigerian government usually do little to address them.
The frequent brutalities and xenophobic treatments that Nigerians are made to suffer in Poland, and other racist countries should be properly addressed, and their governments should be held responsible anytime such ill-treatments occur. The bland and indifferent attitude these governments have put up in addressing the frequent and continuous maltreatments of Nigerians in their countries has prompted their police to have a field time in this intolerable act Nigerians are made to pass through.
While these foreign countries hear news of those brutalities Nigerian police melt out to their citizens on daily basis, they tend to see our citizens in their countries as trash that can be maltreated knowing full well Nigerian government would only make noise and cannot bite anytime such ugly trash happens.
Our government usually dream of making Nigeria to belong among the leading 20 economies in the world, one wonders how this tall hallucination and mirage of a dream would come to reality when the same government have little value for her citizens especially those in foreign lands.
Unites States can sacrifice huge resources in order to rescue an American in distress no matter where the challenge is coming from. Last year, when some Somali pirates hijacked a U.S. ship and held its American captain, Richard Phillips, as hostage the US Navy immediately diverted its guided missile destroyer, Bainbridge, and successfully rescued Phillips alive after keeping watch on the pirates movement for days.
Poland is among the less-developed countries in Europe. One wonders, supposing our country is well managed by our past governments and leaders, what would Nigerians still be doing in a society that overtly shows they hate them. I believe they would in drove be returning to their fatherland. As the popular maxim goes ‘no place is like home’. It is then a task on Nigerians and our government to ensure things work here in order to prevent such beastly treatments our brothers and sisters are made to pass through in unfriendly countries. While, waiting for that time to come, our government need to show it cares and values her citizens no matter where they are reside.

Cameron’s Daunting Task Of Changing UK

By Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor

The political terrain in United Kingdom has embraced a new atmosphere. This is not only because the Conservatives, in a coalition with the Liberal democrats, have taken the rein of power from the opposition position it has been subjected to since the past 13 years , but that young stars, like Obama, are now calling the shoots in one of Europe’s biggest economy. 43-year-old David Cameron is UK’s youngest Prime Minister since the last 200 years (since Robert Banks Jenkinson in 1812), with six months younger than former PM Tony Blair, and his deputy from Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg is also 43.

The results of UK general election last week have shown that there are neither vanquished nor outright winner for the three major political party leaders. For Cameron, prior to the votes, he was greatly favoured to sweep the polls and maintain an exclusive government, but he ended up with a hung parliament; embracing a plea bargain to woo the liberal democrats in coalitional government. Clegg was the hero during the great debates; outshining his opponents, but became the loosing team that others must take along in realising their kingship. Gordon Brown of the Labour party outrightly admitted his flop and party’s failure, but his decision to quit was really timely, and has won him the respect as a quintessential contemporary politician, what Blair would have loved to achieve during his time.
The tasks before Cameron, no doubt is daunting. As the loquacious and major critic of Brown, especially since the latter became Prime Minister in June 2007, Cameron would need to outshine Brown’s performance and proffer results to those many economic and financial criticisms he had levelled against his predecessor. He will be assessed based on how successful he is able to turn around the British post recession economy, and manage those many flaws Brown had incurred.
The British society is one that is conservative in nature; hence, there is the need for the new Tory administration to cut down the rising government expenditures, another pitfall which Brown administration carried along. The taxpayers in Britain are the ones bearing the huge cost used in maintaining the about 100 ministers, where there are about 170 cars for ministers alone that gulp 20 million pounds annually. No wonder, a segment of the British society are calling government to introduce public transportation to ministers so as to save the huge cost in funding cars and the entourages that go with public officials. Boris Johnson, a columnist with UK Telegraph, sums this up by arguing that “Politicians should stop wasting our money and start taking public transport”.

Britain is a major player in the global economy. Cameron has a huge task in cooperating with his America counterpart, Barack Obama to give a facelift to the world’s economy that is still finding its feet after the great recession that hit major economies last year.
The realities of contemporary challenges on global economy may just be a different ball game in tackling by extrapolation from the past. There is also the challenge emerging super economies are portending to the developed western states, of which UK belongs. China, India, and Brazil are all set to surpass the ‘old’ economies of the west within no more than a decade or two. The Third world or developing economies in Africa and part of Asia are no longer developing; they are ever ready to continue their plea for aids and bailouts, even though they provide the raw materials on which engine the global economy. The new British government under the leadership of the Tories need to put the machinery in order to provide a deep and valuable trading partnership with the aforementioned nations.
On the political scene, Cameron would really need to win the trust of his co-travellers, especially in the coalition government that is formed with the opposition, as a writer rightly puts it “The formation of a coalition means conspiring with political enemies and smiling in front of the cameras pretending to agree”. There is also the glaring eyes of Labour party that will be watching to catch on the flimsiest gaffe.
In addition to this the new government need to rebuild the trust of the electorate in their government, which was the undoing of Brown at the later part of his administration. Cameron’s speech when assuming the mantle of power as PM lays credence to this: “One of the tasks that we clearly have is to rebuild trust in our political system. Yes, that's about cleaning up expenses, yes, that's about reforming parliament, and yes, it's about making sure people are in control and that the politicians are always their servants and never their masters”.
The UK support with U.S. on the Iraqi and Afghan wars is another tough decision Cameron would need to look into. Of recent, the deaths of British soldiers in Afghanistan are on the rise, and this is not too appealing to the British citizenry. Cameron would decide whether to cut short the number of UK troops in these war zones or decide to totally hands up, which is not too possible, as it would not be a pleasing pill that the American government will love to swallow.
The tasks before Cameron has made his new position not too enviable, as he has a lot on his hands today, but changing the expectations of the British people has to be high up on his priority list.

UK 2010 POLLS: Nigerians Put Up A Good Fight

Paul Arhewe,
(With Agency Reports)

The 2010 United Kingdom general elections made history as the numbers of foreigners who vied for seats in British parliament was unprecedented. Out of the 4,149 candidates battling to secure seats in the parliament, 315 of them were independent candidates. 89 Asians partook as candidates in the poll while Africans from Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Nigeria were among the hundreds that vied in the election.
Three out of the five Nigerians that contested in the election won parliamentary seats in different constituencies, while the forth gave a hot contention for her constituency.
Helen Grant a 48-year old attorney, whose father is a Nigerian and has a Briton mother and the Conservative Party's parliamentary candidate, faced hostility after surviving controversy in 2009 when it emerged she was once a member of the Labour Party.
Grant born in London became the Conservative Party's first black female Member of Parliament for the mostly white, rural, and staunchly Conservative district of Maidstone & The Weald of Kent. She was chosen by Conservative Party leader David Cameron to succeed Ann Widdecombe, who is retiring. Ms. Grant is running on a platform of reforming Maidstone Hospital, defeating Kent International Gateway “to protect our beautiful Kent countryside from predatory developers”, and emphasizing local suppliers and producers.
She secured the seat for Maidstone and the Weald constituency with 23,491 votes (48 per cent), beating second and third runner ups Peter Carroll of Liberal democrat who garnered 17,602 votes (36.0 per cent) and Rav Seeruthun of Labour with 4,769 (9.7 per cent).
Conservative Party activists who complain that the A-lister was "foisted" on them by the party's leadership predicted that some local Tories will not campaign for her but will instead help Tory candidates in neighbouring seats. Donal Blaney, a Tory activist and blogger, said: "There are a number of people in the association, activists who go out in the pouring rain, that are upset and a lot of them have said they will not campaign to help Helen. They will help Greg Clark or Damian Green, people who have a track record as Conservatives. "Parachuting people into safe seats and imposing them is a disservice to activists. Part of the bitterness that has arisen over Liz Truss [a candidate whom many Tory activists oppose on their A-list, because she had an affair with a married Tory MP while she was married] and Helen Grant is that activists have been labelled the 'Turnip Taliban' when they are the people who have kept the Tory party afloat and are now being denigrated."
Grant first emerged on Booker Rising’s radar screen in 2008. The Maidstone & the Weald seat is the Conservative Party’s 10th safest district. I.e., barring a massive catastrophe, expect to see her in Parliament this year. There have been minor complaints from local activists that she is “insufficiently Conservative” (because she was once a Labour Party member, she’s only been a Conservative Party member for four years, and some local activists didn’t like that she made the A-list so quickly), but nothing serious. She was inspired to become a Tory by Mr. Cameron.
Grant was raised by her single mother on the Raffles council estate in Carlisle ("council estates" are called public housing projects in America) without a car or a television. She later became captain of her school tennis and hockey teams, and also did track & field and cross-country. Ms. Grant is a former under-16 Judo Champion in North of England and Southern Scotland.

Grant later obtained a law degree at the University of Hull, undertook solicitors' finals at the College of Law in Guildford and qualified as a solicitor in 1988. Her law experience lies in family law and health care. She is now Senior Partner at Grants Solicitors LLP, Croydon, where she has been since 1996. She is also the founder of Grants Solicitors, a specialist firm focused on solving family breakdown.
Responding to a question about why she wants to enter politics, she said: "I have always had strong views and I have always fought for what I believed in. I believe in individual freedom combined with personal responsibilities, free enterprise and a non-interfering state. I have also always felt strongly about being compassionate toward other people and have held firm opinions on issues surrounding families, women, social justice and social mobility, probably because of my work and my personal background. My party political awakening came in 2004. My children were no longer babies and were becoming more independent, my business had started to mature, with a good management team in place, and I was ready for a new challenge where I might be able to continue helping other people both as individuals but also on a broader scale. Politics seemed to be the obvious route. I had a brief flirtation with the Labour Party because at the time they were holding themselves out as the champions of social justice, which was important to me, but I quickly realised that they were not. Moreover they were failing to deal with the aspirations of normal people in our country. When David Cameron became leader of the Conservative party in December 2005 I was instantly attracted and inspired by his views on all of the above issues and I joined the Conservative party shortly after, in January 2006."
Now a wealthy woman due to her law practice, Ms. Grant is married and has two teenage children. She has lived in Surrey, England since 1994 and enjoys tennis, movies, major sporting events, and family life. She is a member of the Conservative Party Family Law Reform Commission, the National Advisory Group for Domestic Violence, and the Society for Conservative Lawyers.
Grant would join MP Adam Afriyie and Lord John Taylor as black Conservatives in Parliament as the emerged victorious.

Another Nigerian who pulled a big win in the UK 2010 poll is Chuka Ummuna. He contested under the Labour Party, won the constituency seat for Streatham with 20,037 votes (42.8 per cent), beating Chris Nicholson of Liberal Democrat with 16,778 votes (35.8 percent), Rahoul Bhansali of Conservative with 8,578 votes (18.3 percent), Rebecca Findlay of Green Party with 861 votes (1.8 per cent), and Geoffrey Macharia of Christian Party with 237 votes (0.5 per cent).
Ummuna who was born and bred in Steatham is well known in his community and sometimes referred to as ‘the UK Obama’.
Prior to becoming Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Streatham, Ummuna was Vice Chair of Streatham Labour Party from 2004 to 2008 and had held a variety of positions throughout the local party. He is a member of the GMB and Unite trade unions and sits on the Management Committee of progressive pressure group, Compass
“I know our party will do everything we can for the residents of this fantastic place”, Ummuna said after emerging victorious on Friday.
In March 2008 Umunna was selected by the Streatham Labour Party as its parliamentary candidate at the next General Election. He succeeds Keith Hill, the current Labour Member of Parliament who has held the seat since April 1992 and is to retire.

He has lived in the Streatham parliamentary constituency all his life (save for a short stint away studying). In his formative years Umunna attended Christ Church Primary School in the Brixton Hill part of the constituency and he is presently a School Governor of Sunnyhill Primary School and sits on the Board of Sunnyhill Children’s Centre, both in Streatham Wells. He lives on Streatham High Road.

Umunna is a specialist employment law solicitor by profession and works at a Central London law firm where he primarily acts for employees but also employers. In addition, he sits on the Board of Generation Next, a not for profit social enterprise which provides activities for young people in London, and has been involved charitable youth work in Lambeth too.
Prior to becoming Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Streatham, Umunna was Vice Chair of Streatham Labour Party from 2004 to 2008 and had held a variety of positions throughout the local party. He is a member of the GMB and Unite trade unions and sits on the Management Committee of progressive pressure group, Compass.

As a person of mixed Nigerian, Irish and English descent, Umunna would become the first person of Black parentage to represent one of the three parliamentary constituencies covering the Brixton area. Aged 30, Umunna also become one of the youngest MPs in the country.
Commenting in March 2008 on his selection as Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Streatham, Umunna said “Streatham is my home – I grew up here – so it is a great privilege to have been selected as Labour’s next Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in this constituency.
“Labour has achieved a lot and this country is a far better place to live than it was in 1997 with unemployment in Streatham down from 10.2 percent then, to 5.2 percent now, but we still have lots of work to do.
“I am very grateful to Labour Party members for selecting me to succeed Keith Hill, who has been a fantastic MP for Streatham, and I relish the prospect of getting out and about and taking our message to the community with him between now and the next general election.”
Local residents welcomed Umunna’s selection as Labour’s parliamentary candidate. The Rev. Lisa Wright, retired curate at St Leonard’s Church, Streatham, said:
“Myself and Chuka’s family were members of St Margaret’s Church in Streatham for many years. I think he would make a wonderful MP for the area and the fact that he is a local boy will definitely appeal to the people here. He is part of the new generation in this new political era!”
Richard Guy, a local firefighter from Streatham said:
“Chuka is a childhood friend – we both grew up in Streatham together. I remember how proud he was of me when I became a firefighter – his admiration for those (like me) working in our public services to keep this country functioning is unswerving
Also, Chi Onwurah, another Nigerian won the Newcastle Central seat under the Labour party flagship. Onwurah secured the parliamentary seat with 15,692 votes (45.9 percent), beating Gareth Kane of Liberal Democrat with 8,228 votes (24.1 percent), and Nick Holder of Conservative with 6,611 votes (19.4 percent).
Onwurah was born in Wallsend in 1965, grew up on Hillsview Avenue in Kenton and went to Kenton School before studying Electrical Engineering in London. She lived in many different cities around the world, always remember Newcastle where she was brought up. Her maternal grandfather was a sheet metal worker in the shipyards of the Tyne during the depression. Her mother grew up in poverty in Garth Heads on the quayside. In the fifties she married a Nigerian student at Newcastle Medical School. Her father practiced dentistry in Gosforth. She said in her profile “I was still a baby when my father took us to live in Awka, Nigeria. But two years later the Biafran Civil War broke out bringing famine with it and, as described vividly in an Evening Chronicle article in 1968, my mother, my brother and sister and I returned as refugees to Newcastle, whilst my father stayed on in the Biafran army”.
Two Nigerians, Abiodun Akinoshun and Kemi Adegoke lost to other candidates in the polls. While Adegoke put up a good fight by clinching 22.2 per cent (10,684) of the votes in her constituency, Akinoshun got the worst result with 438. Akinoshun contested for the Erith and Thamesmead parliamentary seat as an independent candidate. He got 438 votes, losing to Labour candidate, Teresa Pearce who got 19,068 votes. Adegoke contested under the flagship of Conservative Party for the Dulwich and West Norwood parliamentary seat. She lost to Labour candidate Tessa Jowell who scored 22,461 votes (46.6 per cent).

Any Dividends Of Jonathan-Obama Meeting?

By Paul Arhewe , Online/Foreign Editor




LAST WEEK, Nigerian Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, embarked on a four-day trip to Washington where he spent two days with other leaders from 47 countries in a Nuclear Security Summit organised by U.S. President Barrack Obama. He also had the opportunity to engage in a 15-minute chat with the American leader.
Comments from many quarters see this development as a significant impetus, which is a bolster on our hitherto passive relations to events at the international scene, especially as no remarkable meeting with renowned international leaders from the West was held by the administration of ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Last Thursday, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia, as he rightly acknowledge, the Jonathan trip to U.S. was very successful and would accrue immense benefits to Nigerians at home and those in diaspora. His words: “it was a very successful visit and I think it is important that Nigeria engages with the world again”. “I think we did so in a very open and successful way”. Jonathan in his trip had the opportunity to meet other America figures like Vice President Joe Biden, the World bank President, and was a special guest speaker at the Center for Global development (CGD) in Washington.
Though, many people are of the view that the time the Acting President spent in discussing with Obama was not enough to make a meaningful discuss, nevertheless the significance of the meeting is that more avenues and opportunities for Nigeria and the United States to cooperate in mutual economic, political and other basic areas of interest would continue to unfold.
Amusingly, a commentator in the Independent Newspapers website argued that “since President Yar’Adua was not availed the opportunity to meet Obama for a minute, Jonathan that was able to converse with him in 15 minutes, this indeed is an improvement”.
The U.S. and Nigeria share some traditional positive bilateral relations that are based on mutual efforts toward development and peace. Nigeria has played important role in regional and global peacekeeping exercises, a front-role in ensuring peace reign in Africa. Despite this great achievement the country has carved a niche for itself over the years in its foreign engagements, last year Obama visited some African countries, by-passed Nigeria and visited her neighbour Ghana. That event put pay to that fact that the Obama-led administration was not really moved in forming cordial ties with our then government under Yar’Adua, which Jonathan was deputising. Events, since his assumption in office have indicated that Yar’Adua is not favourably disposed to partaking at events in the international scene. This is displayed when last year he preferred to embark on a trip to Saudi Arabia to observe the inauguration of an education institution than attending a United Nations summit.
U.S.-Nigeria bilateral relation in past years especially during the military regimes had suffered strained ties. It was not until in July, 2006 that Nigerian airlines resumed direct flights to U.S. after a decade ban by America on direct flights between the two countries due to the excesses of the military rules in the 80s and 90s. Though, in terms of economic tie, there has been proportional growth over the years in economic ties between the two countries, when compared to what others foreign countries share with the African giant. U.S. has since taken over as the major importer of crude oil from Nigeria, where it is the fifth largest supplier of crude to the American country. For instance, according to Energy Department data in December 2009, U.S. bought about one million barrels of oil a day from Nigeria. As at last year, Nigeria was the 14th largest goods trading partner of the U.S. with $42.2 billion in two-way goods trade for 2008.
There abound many gains that would be accrued from the new-found wind in the sail of Nigeria-America relationship, from the offshoot of Jonathan’s four-day trip to U.S.
While on one hand, Jonathan has used the trip to stamp his authority and recognition of his administration by other country leaders, the visit of the Acting President to the Nuclear Security Summit indeed was an avenue to announce the comeback of Africa’s most populous country to happenings in the world arena.
The last year attempted Christmas Eve terror bombing on a Detroit-bound aircraft by a Nigerian youth, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was indeed a big dent that culminated in straining the bilateral relations between the two countries. This did not only result in the enlisting of Nigeria in a terrorist watch list, but incurred a stiffen measures and checks against Nigerians travelling abroad, even a visa ban on our ministers to U.S. was threatened.
Jonathan’s visit to Washington, (even though the result should not be expected too sudden) no doubt would go a long way to make U.S. rethink its stance against Nigeria and propose to remove its name from country to be monitored against sponsoring terrorist, more especially as our Acting President has hinted the American leader of our progress with security measures in our international airports. Many analysts have emphasised on the economical effect of adding Nigeria to that terror list. In this regards, as U.S. reconsiders in lifting the blacklist on Nigeria, other Western countries would start to see her in a new light, and mete out fair treatments to Nigerians in their countries and engage her in positive bilateral relationships.
Obama has expressly shown his approval of Jonathan Acting Presidency, even before his recent trip to Washington. During the inauguration of Nigerian new Ambassador to U.S., Prof. Adebowale Adefuye, last month, the American leader declared his support for the ongoing reforms embarked by Jonathan with regards to strengthening democracy, improving the economy and restoring peace and security in Nigeria. Obama said “In this difficult time, we applaud Nigeria for taking steps to restore confidence in the country’s political system while adhering to democratic principles”.
“We are encouraged by Acting President Jonathan’s public promises to strengthen democratic reforms, improve the economic environment and address the ongoing violence and impunity seen in the Niger Delta and Jos”. “We look forward to supporting these efforts to improve the lives of all Nigerian citizens,” he said.
U.S., as the world leading democratic nation, is at the forefront in striving to sustain the democratic tenets in countries struggling in their embryonic democracies, like Nigeria.
In past decades, Nigeria has either had bones to grind with U.S. on issues pertaining to democracy, human rights, and corruption. Nigerian 2011 polls are now barely one year away, the U.S. has always joined other voices in calling for electoral reform and of recent joined in calling for the replacement of the incumbent Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, who many have raised their voices against as a symbol for failed elections in the country.
Jonathan certainly, among his discuss with Obama would have touched on his administration proposed moves in ensuring a free and fair poll, and a cause for the world to believe his government is really out to make it right this time. The U.S. has always offered its support to ensuring that Nigeria next year’s elections are free and fair, and political institutions are strengthened to consolidate on our democracy.
No doubt, the gains from the Acting President’s visit to Washington have already started yielding early results. Last week, while Jonathan was having roundtable discussions with Obama and other world figures, Adefuye was hosted alongside with American Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Renee Sanders, in the launch of U.S.-Nigeria Bi-national Commission by U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
The Bi-national Commission among other benefits would among other benefits, is a forum to strengthen the democratic institutions that are germane to hold free and fair elections in Nigeria, especially as 2011 polls draw near. The commission will also promote regional cooperation in the country and also encourage development in key areas, particularly in Niger Delta. It will support Nigeria in its fight against corruption, strengthen its democracy and civil society. And lastly, the commission would also support the country in ensuring food security and agricultural development.
The Bi-national Commission through its governance group will first prepare for Nigeria’s 2011 polls, and put in place $25 million food-security initiative that will focus on supporting the country’s agribusiness, farmer cooperatives, access to markets and work on staple crop yields, Sanders said. The commission “represents the future of this strategic dialogue and provides the framework for us to discuss these key areas we share with Nigeria,” she added.
Indeed, Jonathan’s invitation to stand shoulder to shoulder with his counterpart’s from other countries, even in his acting capacity, is a proof that his leadership in Africa’s populous state is accepted by world leaders. The World Bank last week also commended the positive leadership qualities Jonathan is putting forth in his acting capacity, and thus gives its support for more developmental projects for the country.
While more and more of this general acceptance is rushing in, it is then a challenge on the Acting President and his government not to let Nigerians down, and the eagle eyes of the world that is waiting to see positive changes. Even if these changes come in terms of improvement in electricity supply and electoral reforms that would usher in legitimate government that come through Nigerians votes in 2011, then Jonathan would have successfully engraved his name on a platter of gold; of which Nigerians would remain ever grateful.

U.S. Healthcare Overhaul Resultant Economic Spill-over Effects

Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor (with agency reports)

U.S. PRESIDENT Barack Obama was indeed a proud man having successfully won the nudge from Congress to sign the historical healthcare bill last week. The healthcare reform bill, estimated to have coverage for 95 per cent of America populace (over 32 million more Americans), marks a landmark and the biggest change in U.S. healthcare sector for decades. The bill was passed by 219 votes from democrats against 212 of Republican in U.S. House of Reps. No Republican supported the bill. The Republicans are of the view that the measures were too expensive to run and it makes government to take over the health industry. Obama successfully won more democrats cleverly, at the eleventh hour, assured the Americans that no federal money would be used for sponsoring abortion.

The economic implication of the world’s largest economy health overhaul would not only affect the American society but have a spill over effect to other economies of the world.
Millions of middle-income people in the American society would be forced to buy commercial health insurance policies; this which is expected to cost them 9.5 percent of their income would make insurance companies smiling to the banks.
Insurance companies would get at least $447 billion of taxpayer money to subsidise the purchase of their products. This would boost their financial and political power; where they would have great influence on future reform.

In two studies conducted by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) their findings show that the U.S. health care reform measure would pay dividends for small businesses and other groups, and costs incurred by the American federal government would help reduce total health spending over time.

“Health Care Reform-Big Benefits for Small Business” explains the many ways in which small businesses will benefit from health care reforms. Only 35 percent of businesses employing fewer than 10 workers offer health insurance, and those that do usually pass on a higher share of the cost to workers than do larger businesses, the report says.

A key problem is that small businesses typically pay more for health insurance because of the way policies are sold. Reforms that would create more competition among insurers and reduce their administrative costs “would significantly reduce the cost small businesses incur providing health insurance,” EPI said.

The other study, “Seeing the Big Picture in Health Reform and Cost Containment,” shows why a federal government investment in health care reform could produce big savings in total costs over time and argues that cost analyses focusing strictly on the cost of health reform to the federal government are misguided

Fundamental health reform is worth doing even if it does not pay off in big federal budget savings. The reason is simple: Health care is an area where the more costs are loaded up on the federal government, the more efficiently care tends to be delivered overall.

That helps reduce total health spending over time, spending that is currently rising faster than gross domestic product, according to EPI.

Obama's proposal takes the more modest Senate bill as his basic framework. But, in what is perhaps his proposal's most notable feature, he scales back the Senate bill's main revenue source, a tax on high-cost insurance that he has strongly supported. Instead, he would impose a new tax on the unearned income of the wealthy.

He would expand subsidies to help working-class and middle-class families afford coverage. To win over some of the bill's strongest sceptics, seniors and state officials, he would expand the Medicare drug benefit for seniors and Medicaid assistance for budget-strapped states.

There is no independent cost estimate yet, but the proposal's additions drive its price tag higher than the Senate bill's $871 billion. White House health-care czar Nancy-Ann DeParle estimated the increase at $75 billion over 10 years, which she said would be offset by bigger cuts in subsidies for private insurers that offer Medicare Advantage plans and higher fees on drug companies, among other sources. By reining in Medicare, the proposal would still reduce the deficit by $100 billion over 10 years, the White House said.

The health reform, no doubt is a laudable project that would affect millions of lives, but those Americans opposing the successful passing of the bill cling their argument on the cost implication of the bill on U.S. economy, and the future increase in cost of health insurance middle-class Americans would be made to pay.

The economy is not the primary reason Americans oppose the bill, says Gallup's Newport.
Only five percent of Americans said they oppose the bill because it would cost government too much and increase the federal deficit.
“The No. 1 reason Americans say they oppose the bill is personal cost,” says Newport.
Of those opposed to the bill, 20 per cent say it will raise the cost of insurance, according to an earlier Gallup poll.
Almost as many people, 19 per cent, say the bill does not address real problems in healthcare. Eight percent of those polled said they don’t know how the system would work, while another eight per cent said they’re against big government controlling the bill.

It is estimated that beginning from 2014, American insurance firms will no longer be able to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, a requirement that America’s Health Insurance Plans, the insurer trade association, has predicted will lead to an explosion in premiums because the legislation will not create universal coverage. In the early going, premiums are indeed predicted to rise to those who earn too much to merit government subsidies; but other individuals will see their premiums drop, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Moreover, as insurance companies get 32 million new customers, they will receive a tremendous infusion of cash that should enable them to reduce their prices.
When health plans have to compete for the business of individuals and small businesses in the insurance exchanges, they will have an additional incentive to moderate their premiums. In the long run, if insurance costs drop, more of the 23 million people (a third of them illegal immigrants) who remain uninsured will be able to afford coverage, and there will be less danger that people will buy it only after they get sick.

The bill requires that insurers provide a certain minimum level of benefits in the health insurance exchanges that individuals and small firms must use to buy coverage, beginning in 2014. That should help carriers because they can charge more for mandatory benefit packages than for the catastrophic plans that they often sell in the individual and small-group markets. Also, people who are now covered by their employers will be able to buy insurance through the exchanges if the actuarial value of their plans is less than 60 percent and/or their share of the premiums costs more than 9.8 percent of their income. While it’s unclear how many people will be affected, moving them from a low-benefit employer-provided plan to a higher-benefit individual plan purchased in an insurance exchange should also raise revenues for insurance companies.

There are some downsides for insurance companies: For one thing, the legislation will cut about $200 billion in government payments to Medicare Advantage plans. Those companies that are heavily involved in that market, such as Humana, will certainly feel the pinch. But as Medicare tries to find ways to pass financial risk onto providers, private insurers will be enlisted to help, because they know more about managed care than the government does.

As for the excise tax on so-called “Cadillac plans,” the final version of the bill has pared this down to predicted revenue of about $70 billion over 10 years. That’s a very small portion of health plan revenues and will be passed onto employers, in any event. And the $74 billion in other new taxes that will be levied on insurance companies to pay for reform is a rounding error compared to the size of the revenues they’ll get in the next decade.

So if this reform bill is so good for insurers, why have they opposed it, and why does the stock market view reform as bad for insurance companies? I think it’s because of short-term thinking: Instead of focusing on how the expansion of coverage will provide new business and shore up a rapidly eroding system, insurance executives and investors only see increased government regulation that will restrict the insurers’ freedom of action. They should rethink their position in light of the opportunities this legislation opens up.

It is germane to note that developing countries also stand to benefit from the massive cash flow the U.S. health overhaul would proffer. This health reform measure has opened new opportunity to outsourcing companies, especially has hospitals and Insurance companies would begin to seek ways in minimizing their expenses. The health care overhaul would likely bring bulk of new business from customer enrollment, customer service, and claims processing, as insurance becomes universally available to US citizens. Different outsourcing destinations such as the Philippines, India, Mexico, and China will probably be clamouring to get the lead in healthcare outsourcing; however, it is likely that those who will benefit the most from the bill are those that can offer onshore capabilities or those that are near shore, such as Mexico and Canada.

Some outsourcing companies in some developing countries have already began their strategizing to expand their network to U.S. following the passage of the health bill into law last week. According to Nasdaq and the Times of India, outsourcing firms such as Firstsource Solutions and WNS are now planning to increase their onshore presence in the U.S. to help them win contracts by expanding their relationships while maintaining potential clients at arm’s length, building trust. Other companies such as Genpact in the meantime, are looking for possible mergers and acquisitions with other companies so that they can broaden their expertise and take advantage of more business from the healthcare industry.
In Africa, South Africa’s outsourcing industry is really gaining ground as more and more multinational outsourcing companies are expanding their operations there. Also, in the continent insurance industry is consolidating fast and stands a chance to further boost its gain with effective competition this health reform from the world’s biggest economy tend to give.

Black History Month And Racism In Contemporary American Society

By Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor
(With Agency Reports)

February each year is set aside as the Black History Month. Events during this month are observed in United States and other part of the world to reflect on the contributions and prices paid by black activists in ending slave trade and racism targeted against blacks.
While this year’s Black History Month is marked with events to encourage equal human rights, an ugly incident in Los Angeles almost marred the celebration. Three teachers at a South Los Angeles elementary school were suspended for allegedly encouraging students to celebrate O.J. Simpson, Dennis Rodman and RuPaul during Black History Month. The intentions of these white teachers were to make mockery of the Africa American history.
While, other children were carrying pictures of President Obama and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who represent the face of true positive contemporary black Americans, these indicted teachers encouraged their students to carry placards of blacks currently passing through a nefarious case or those that have laid bad precedence for the black race. For instance Dennis Rodman, nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The Worm", ex-basketball player experienced an unhappy childhood, was shy and introverted in his early years. After aborting a suicide attempt in 1993, he reinvented himself as the prototypical "bad boy" and became notorious for numerous controversial antics. He dyed his hair in artificial colours, presented himself with many piercing and tattoos and regularly disrupted games by clashing with opposing players and officials.
Some reactions against the aforementioned incident suggest that racism still has its root deep root in Western world.
According to the president of the Los Angeles branch of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, Leon Jenkins, "I just can't fathom what these teachers were thinking of except to make a mockery of African American history,"

L.C. "Chris" Strudwick-Turner of the Los Angeles Urban League likened the episode to a series of racially provocative incidents at UC San Diego, where a Feb. 15 off-campus party mocked Black History Month.

"These kinds of things build on each other," she said. "When something like that happens in [San Diego] and there is no immediate consequence, which emboldens others. That's why I was glad that LAUSD took them out of the classroom right away."

Pollard-Terry said Simpson, Rodman and RuPaul were included on a list of prominent African Americans approved by the school for study during Black History Month.

There are many Africa Americans that have put up positive contributions in the fight against racism against blacks.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who paid the price in the end for wanting change. Malcolm X was not only a Muslim minister, but also a human rights activist who died for change. Harriet Tubman (a.k.a. Black Moses) as well, she helped free slaves with her underground railroad. Let's not forget the Tuskegee Airmen, Jackie Robinson or Rosa Parks who all paved the way for black airmen, athletes and civilians to have an equal existence. But is that all? Did no one else contribute?
What about contemporary Africa Americans, is their roles significant in The Black History Month?

There are great black poets such as Maya Angelou, who is still alive and still creating great works in film rather than in books.

Bill Cosby: not only is he a great family man on television, but he has also been a contributor to debates about blacks in colleges, the ghettos and what needs to be done now to better our black communities. Even Jesse Jackson should be a notable mention; he's still fighting for the civil rights of others and politically campaigning for better schools in black communities as well.

How about scientists like Madame CJ Walker, who contributed to the hair care of all? Dr. Charles Drew, who performed heart transfusions when no one thought he could. There were plenty of inventors, chemists and educators such as Percy L. Julian, George Carruthers, George Washington Carver, James West and Granville T. Woods who helped to create railroads, observatories and peanut butter.

A lot of these scientists were the first to experiment with objects lying around and created useful commodities for us today. They have also paved the way for black people to become something more than what they were expected to become.

How about successful black people? Do you pay attention to great directors and producers like Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Robert Townsend or Suzanne De Passé? Both Spike Lee and Robert Townsend have been creating movies since the 1980s.

Both have made the main focus of their movies centre around the racial and social divide of cultures, and they should be honoured more for their work. Some say that Tyler Perry is the new Spike Lee. I mean, have you seen his movies? He should be praised for capturing the essence of black families and putting them into films.

There are great actors and actresses such as Halle Berry, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Denzel Washington, Sanaa Lathan and more who owe their careers to veteran actors and actresses such as Dorothy Dandridge, Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg.

All of these entertainers have made us laugh, cry and love with their portrayal of characters in all of their movies we watch almost every day. Some of them are beginning to get recognition at award shows like the Emmys and Golden Globes, but more need to be recognized for their outstanding performances.

Athletes such as Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul Jabaar, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Florence Joyner and plenty more have paved the way for the great athletes today like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Mike Tyson, Marion Jones, Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, Venus and Serena Williams and so forth. We watch these players every day beyond the month of February, so let's continue to recognize them as well.

The music industry also has given us great producers like Berry Gordy and Russell Simmons. Both men have produced artists such as Run DMC, LL Cool J, Jay-Z, the Temptations, Supremes and let's not forget the late-great Michael Jackson, who should be honoured for the path he has opened to most of today's artists. There are other great artists like Boys II Men, Jodeci, En Vogue, Patti Labelle and Aretha Franklin who started the way for today's performers as well.
While the above listed Africa Americans have contributed immensely and are still contributing to make a difference in their immediate American society and the world at large, they are giving the black race a louder voice and create impetus for their black president (Obama) to turn things around.

As Sudan, Chad Open A New Page On Peace

By Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor
Independent Newspapers Limited.


The two ‘Horns of Africa’ countries which hitherto are torn on each others’ flesh have decided this week to let by-gone be by-gone, and turn a new page.
Chadian president Idriss Deby made a surprise visit to Khartoum last Monday, after each country has laid several accusations and counter accusations of sponsoring rebels to fight the other’s government. Deby’s visit no doubt has really laid a path for peace, as Sudan’s president Omar Hassan al-Bashir the following day issued a statement saying his country has completely turned the page in the conflict with Chad. In his words: “I say to our people in Sudan and in Chad, we have completely turned the page on problems between us,". “This visit has put an end to the problems between Chad and Sudan,” He added. Bashir has even accepted an invitation from Deby to pay a return visit to N’djamena.

This present peaceful meeting won’t be the first time the two oil-producing neighbouring countries are trying to put aside the rancour distorting their peaceful cohabitation.
In March 2008, the two countries entered an accord in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, but it crumbled months later when a major faction of Darfur insurgents, the Justice and Equality Movement, launched an unprecedented attack on Khartoum. The reprisal on Ndjamena, which came as a surprise assault came close to overthrowing Deby’s government before his military troops managed to rally and rout the rebels.

Mid January this year, Sudan and Chad okay the deployment of a joint force on their borders, in order to end the presence of rebels on each other's territory and halt their activities as part of normalisation efforts.

As Deby was brokering the peace, he stated “…a calm is not enough. Agreements and protocols alone cannot bring back confidence if politics are not included. It is time to outdo ourselves in order to seal this peace.” "If I am with you today, it's not purely for an accolade, I have come so that we can transform the current calm into definitive peace," he added.
Even Sudan leader has been flabbergasted by his core enemy’s surprise visit. "When we were told that President Deby was coming to Khartoum it was a surprise, but a pleasant surprise," Bashir said.
Bashir said joint projects would be set up in the border area between both countries in order to help those affected by the Darfur conflict.
The two countries have agreed to prevent armed groups from using the territory of either state against the interests of the other and to establish mechanisms to monitor their common border.
Analysts are of the view that al-Bashir is seeking cheap popularity, especially as he is standing to run this April for Sudan’s first democratic elections in 24 years. Al-Bashir is trying to douse tension in his conflict-devastated state ahead of the April elections. According to Roland Marchal, a senior research fellow and an expert on Chad-Sudan at France CERI international research institute, “Bashir will need to get an international community that is not too critical. It makes sense, especially as Chad has committed itself to not supply equipment to the Darfur rebels."

According to United Nations’ estimate, about 300,000 deaths were recorded when non-Arab insurgents took up arms against Darfur people in early 2003. But President al-Bashir put the death toll at 10,000. About 2.7 million people have fled their homes and been displaced in eastern Chad and western Sudan because of bloodletting clashes with these areas.
The war broke out when Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) began attacking government targets and installations. The rebels were accusing Sudan of oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs Janjaweed militia - who are accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans from large swathes of territory.

Sudan government following the attacks then mobilised a self-defence militias. The government denies any links to the Arab. Al-Bashir has called the Janjaweed "thieves and gangsters".
But refugees have refuted Sudan’s government stance, saying air raids by government aircraft would be followed by attacks from the Janjaweed, who would ride into villages on horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping women and stealing whatever they could find.
The international community has blamed President Bashir on the crisis, and issue an arrest warrant on him last year. Even, last week another fresh charge was approved by the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, Africa Union (AU) has refused to honour ICC warrant on the sitting president.

The international community has welcomed this new initiative towards peace in these Horn of Africa countries.
No doubt, the new peace deal with not only be a relief to the people within this war-torn zone, but an economic benefits to other Africa countries, and international organisations who spend their resources in sending military peace-keeping force and relief materials.
The United States has congratulated the Governments of Chad and Sudan on the signing of the January 15 agreements in N’Djamena to normalize relations.
We believe that the normalization of Chad-Sudan relations provides an important opportunity to advance ongoing international efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the situation in Darfur, and we call on the Governments of Chad and Sudan to contribute actively and appropriately to these peace efforts. This agreement will also enhance regional stability and promote economic growth.
The UN has lauded the “positive step” between the Sudan and Chad governments in securing their common borders and joining resource to combating rebels.
The Assistant-Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Dmitry Titov, told the Security Council that “While the challenges in Darfur remain enormous, there is a hope and an opportunity that the coming year will bring positive changes for the region”.

Quake: Is U.S. Invading Or Relieving Devastated Haitians?

Paul Arhewe, Online/Foreign Editor



The U.S. role in administering aids and relief effort to the millions left devastated in the massive January 12 quake has been criticised many as a moved to invade the poor Latin American country. Critics slight Pentagon’s despatch of 15,000 troops (comprising those troops on ground and those who are on high sea) to Port-au-Prince as signalling invasion, other than providing relief aids.
France and Brazil were the first to let out their voices against U.S. move, when America soldiers refused landing permit to their medic teams sent to help the millions injured and those traumatised.
Though, U.S. government is claiming it intends to maintain peace and security in the state that is fast growing into a ‘state of nature’ as described in the Hobbessian cannibalised and uncivilised early stage of human society.

Last week, six helicopters pack full with American soldiers landed in Haiti’s presidential palace. This move alone would openly signify a new version of takeover, maybe a new pattern of conquering new kingdom as witnessed in the early years culminating into human civilization.

The Italian government official who led the country's response to the L'Aquila earthquake has condemned relief efforts in Haiti as a disorganised "vanity parade", ahead of an international conference on rebuilding the devastated country.

Guido Bertolaso, the head of Italy's civil protection service, said there had been a fundamental lack of leadership thus far in foreign aid missions to Haiti, warning also that the large US military mission in the country was not entirely helpful.

Also the Venezuelan and Bolivian presidents vent their anti-U.S. invective, claiming Washington was using a relief operation in Haiti to mask a military takeover of the impoverished country.

"The empire," said Mr. Chavez using his favourite epithet for the United States, "is taking Haiti over the bodies and tears of its people."

"They started with the airport," he said, referring to Port-au-Prince's single runway airfield, which U.S. forces have operated since last week, assisting hundreds of aid planes in landing”.

"If you want to go inside the destroyed presidential palace, you'll find US Marines standing in your way," Chavez added.

"They brazenly occupied Haiti without consulting the UN or the OAS (Organization of American States)," said Mr. Chavez, who on Sunday made similar accusations about the U.S. relief effort in Haiti.

Meanwhile, Bolivian President Evo Morales, one of Mr. Chavez's closest allies in the region, said he would request an emergency UN meeting "to repudiate and reject this military occupation of the United States in Haiti."

"It's not right the United States should use this natural disaster to invade and militarily occupy Haiti," he told a press conference.

"If you have all these problems with the injured and the dead from the earthquake, you have to go there to save lives, and you don't do that from a military standpoint," he added.

The U.S. tight grip on the relief efforts have stalled and slowed the rate of administration of food in the devastated poor country. Many prominent individuals including Jean Saint-Vil, Canada Haiti Action Network, Pierre Labossiere, Haiti Action Committee, USA , Noam Chomsky, MIT, Niraj Joshi, Toronto Haiti Action Committee, Roger Annis, Canada Haiti Action Network, Brian Concannon Jr., Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, BC Holmes, Toronto Haiti Action Committee, Yves Engler, Canada Haiti Action Network, Peter Hallward, Middlesex University, Kevin Pina, journalist and film-maker, and Kevin Skerrett, Canada Haiti Action Network, recently took to undersigning an open letter to protest the increasing death toll that is mounting in Haiti over U.S. tight grip on the emergency relief.
According to them, “Since the US Air Force seized unilateral control of the airport in Port-au-Prince, it has privileged military over civilian humanitarian flights. As a result, untold numbers of people have died needlessly in the rubble of Port-au-Prince, Leogane and other abandoned towns”.

“If aid continues to be withheld, many more preventable deaths will follow. We demand that US commanders immediately restore executive control of the relief effort to Haiti's leaders, and to help rather than replace the local officials they claim to support”.

The open letter further stated that “We note that obsessive foreign concerns with 'security' and 'looting' are largely refuted by actual levels of patience and solidarity on the streets of Port-au-Prince. The decision to avoid what US commanders have called "another Somalia-type situation" by prioritizing security and military control is likely to succeed only in provoking the very kinds of unrest they condemn”.

“In keeping with a longstanding pattern, US and UN officials continue to treat the Haitian people and their representatives with wholly misplaced fear and suspicion”.

The U.S. government has rushed in its own military to re-establish a repressive force under cover of a “humanitarian” mission needed to bring aid to people who are injured, hungry and thirsty, and without shelter.

Spokespeople from what is left of Haiti’s government estimate that some 200,000 people have died in the disaster, that hundreds of thousands have left the capital area to seek shelter in the North of the country, and there are still some 609,000 without shelter in the capital area itself. (Reuters, Jan. 25)

The U.S. Marines and Airborne forces have seized the destroyed presidential palace, the banks, the Port-au-Prince airport and the severely damaged seaport. The U.S. forces took control of air traffic at the airport on Jan. 14. Currently 120 planes can land daily on the one runway, but 1,400 planes are backed up waiting for U.S. permission to land.

Accompanying the U.S. troop surge, the U.N. forces that have occupied Haiti since 2004 have rebuilt their command, which was severely damaged by the earthquake, and are increasing the number of troops from 9,000 to 12,500. Canada, which invaded Haiti in 2004 along with the U.S. and France after the U.S. deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has doubled its contingent to 2,000 troops.

All reports on the ground from Haiti show that Washington gave first priority to the military buildup, while delaying emergency aid. Comments from officials engaged in aid and rescue missions — even from U.S. allies — show that by giving the military priority, Washington hampered the international humanitarian effort.

Terror Attack: Do Nigerians Deserve To Be Demonised?

By Paul Arhewe ,


The Christmas botched terror attack attempted by Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, is not only a condemnable act but one that requires the maximum punishment that goes with such act.
Howbeit, last week, the American State Department in its bid to stiffen security watch on likely terror attack chose to include Nigeria in a watch-list of countries of interest (countries that should be closely monitored to assuage surprise attacks), alongside with 13 other known terrorists-sponsoring countries.
The implication of this measure is that while other countries, especially in the western world would begin to exercise extra caution in dealing with Nigerians travelling to their countries, foreign investors would be dissuaded as they would not want their reputation smeared in indulging with a country under a terror watch-list.
While the actions of U.S. is widely criticised, in this part of the world, many are of the view that the bulk of blame should rest with American government for its intelligence’s failure to avert the failed attack by not acting promptly on the information provided by AdulMutallab’s father two months before the attempt on the U.S. aircraft. The American securities failed to act on the vital information that would have seen AdulMutallab been placed on a no-fly watch list. Though, President Barack Obama has claimed responsibility for this security lapses, this is not enough as cooperation is required from other countries, including Nigeria, in nipping in the bud any future development of terrorist act.
One is tempted to believe that the inclusion of Nigeria in terrorist watch list by U.S. is not based only on the isolated AbdulMutallab botched attack. As a measure to save face, the blames for the terror attack should definitely be shared with others.
In 2001, the convicted Briton shoe bomber, Richard Reid, used the same PETN chemical explosives in a failed attempt to blow up a transatlantic airline. America failed to tag UK a terrorist state and put the country in its watch-list of country of interest; but for a black African state, this tag is well suited. The listing of Nigeria is no doubt an overreaction from the American government, and a delisting would go a long way in averting a show of diplomatic quagmire.
There are glaring facts that the suspect in question was not influenced within the Nigerian borders, but recruited in London, and got the suicide bomber-instinct from his association with an al-Qaida branch in Yemen, which has taken responsibility. The suspect associated with a notorious radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Awlaki has been linked to other attacks, including that carried out by an American army Major Nidal Malik Hasan at the Fort Hood army base in Texas in November 2009.
If AbdulMutallab’s natural parents were in support of his move, they wouldn’t have proceeded to thwart it months before its execution. This is a pointer that Abdulmutallab’s sponsors, as clearly seen, are outside his native country, not within, and a case to show U.S. placement of Nigeria on a watch-list is not a deal fair.
The Yemen government is also trying to save its face from shame as a terrorists- breeding state by claiming the explosives AbdulMutallab used were not from their country but from Nigeria. AbdulMutallab that spent only 23 minutes in Nigeria before embarking on the suicide mission may not have gone to any market in Lagos to buy PETN explosives. The PETN chemical is the basic ingredient in detonating cords used for industrial explosions and can be collected by scraping the insides of the wire, said James Crippin, a Colorado explosives expert. Used in military devices and readily found in blasting caps, the chemical is stable and safe to handle but requires a primary explosive to detonate it. The question is how would the suspect, acting alone, get these explosives within 23 minutes he was in Nigerian soil? Suppose he got it from Nigeria, the fact still remains that those directing his moves were from Yemen. They would surely have arranged the substance for him. While, Nigerian government should not foreclose the premise that collaborator(s) may have aided the suspect within the country, instead of passing blame the Yemeni government should proceed with the ongoing onslaught against terrorists groups that are fortifying their base in this middle-east country.
Nigeria, no doubts has some past experiences of deadly religious uprisings, such as the 1980s Maitatsine sect attack, 2009 Boko Haram bedlam, and the recent Kala-kato crisis in Bauchi. These religious strives may have attracted the attention of America and prompted the decision to tag Nigeria a terrorist sponsoring state, especially when hundreds are killed on a flimsy and baseless religious protest. While it is expected that Nigerian government should address security lapses that give room for nursing internal religious sect, which preaches anti-America and anti-western civilisation, the American government, no doubt should have a definition for international terrorism, which should be different from religious rankling, which is present in every country, especially in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state as Nigeria. Nigerians are lovers of longevity. Every normal Nigerians, outside those whose mindsets have been polluted and whitewashed by influences outside the shores of the country like AbdulMutallab, would daily pray to outlive the years their great grandfathers lived; it is unimaginable seeing a normal Nigerian fronting to be a suicide bomber. No wonder Nigerians are tagged the happiest people, despite the numerous factors that should make them every second sad.
It is a welcome development for countries, not only U.S., to tighten their airport securities, with newly introduced security measures such as full-body scanning and explosive detection technology, the use of “Puffer” machines, a simple frisk or bomb-sniffing dogs all would likely detect the chemical explosive PETN, as experts disclosed. With this in place, there is the need for countries to cooperate in ensuring a safer world than the move by American government to blacklist Nigeria. While, AbdulMutallab should be made to pay for his sins, as the outcome of a U.S. federal grand jury has indicted him last week on six charges, including one that could put him away for life, a peace- loving country like Nigeria should not be witch-hunted; rather seeking her cooperation in the fight against terror would be to the advantage of humanity.

Climate Change: Africa’s Demands And Its Challenges

By Paul Arhewe,

As world leaders gather for the next two weeks, starting Monday in Copenhagen, Denmark on a major UN climate change summit that would proffer solutions for combating the 21st century monster that is gradually changing the world’s natural habitat, the role of Africa countries in making this a huge success is invaluable. As the Kyoto Protocol’s requirements expire in 2012 world leaders in the summit would forge a new pact to tackle greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The Kyoto Protocol, which was negotiated in 1997 at the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Japan and ratified in early 2005, seeks to compel the 37 industrialised countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the five-year period of 2008-2012 to an average of five per cent against the 1990 levels.

Earlier this year African leaders threatened to boycott the Copenhagen summit unless huge aid is given to countries in continent to cope with climate change, arguing that highly industrialize countries in the west and Asia are major promoters of this destructive gas. Among their requests include aid for finance, technology and support for capacity building. Developing nations, also are calling on rich countries to cut their emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.
Last month, in order to develop a united front, in an emergency summit, 10 members of Africa Union met and agreed on an undisclosed amount (expected to be in trillions of US dollars) to demand during the ongoing talks in Copenhagen.
Africa countries will suffer more from the impact from climate change, as some of the achieved progress and developments in the past decade would be reversed. Also, ecological shocks are predicted to feature in the continent, as an offshoot of the global warming. Estimation from UN Environment Program shows that between 75 million and 250 million people in Africa, as a result of climate change, may face water shortage by 2020. $50 billion annually is needed by the continent to cope with climate change and rising temperatures.

The summit is expected to propose annual fund of $10 billion for the next three years to aid poor countries create strategies to combat climate change. In addition, hundreds of billions of dollars would be needed yearly to set out new energy path and adapt to new climates.

Some African countries, like South Africa, are beginning to show efforts on how to contribute in making less future emissions of greenhouse gas. President Jacob Zuma announced on Monday his country’s plan to cut gas emissions by 42 percent by 2025, on the basis that rich countries meet the requests to provide aid to poor African countries.

Scientists opine that the continuation of climate change would result in grave consequences, with continual rise in temperatures that would lead to extinction of plant and animal species, the flooding of coastal areas, extreme weather conditions, drought and wide spread of pandemic diseases.
As Africa countries seek ways to increase their energy supplies, the challenge is to seek ways to develop clean energy sources. There is a need for collaboration between World Bank and Africa Development Bank to build up framework for the continent’s clean energy development. Also, private investment is required to promote efficient energy source for Africa.
The challenge of adapting to climate change, even after global carbon emissions are reduced, is one that requires a long-term programme, where Africa governments need to systematically integrate adaptation issues in their policies.
The preservation of continent’s vast forest is a major way it can contribute in protecting the global climate. Hence, the continual encouragement and campaigns to discourage deforestation is germane, and a task Africa leaders should champion.