Liberia:Issues at hand.

Liberian president:Ellen Johnson Sirleaf




Two factors can really prolong armed conflicts in any region of the world. They are cultivation of hard drugs especially Cocaine, opium and heroin on one hand, and presence of mineral resources especially crude oil, diamonds and Gold on the other hand. This is because the militants, warlords and rebels make lots of money through the exploitation of these minerals and through deals on hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. In the first instance, Columbia and Afghanistan are good examples while in the second instance, the Niger-delta of Nigeria and Congo DRC, are very good examples. Moreover, through history, Sierra Leone in collaboration with Liberia has been very good examples.
The gradual return of peace in Liberia following the end of the civil war in 1996, the deposition of Charles Taylor’s government, the signing of a peace deal in 2003 and the election of the first African female president Ellen Johnson sirleaf in Nov. 2005 remains a welcome development; partly because the war in Liberia has had a spiraling effect on the rest of the sub region. We are aware of the influence of Charles Taylor’s government on the war in Sierra Leone
However, recent developments have shown Liberia drifting toward a state of uncertainty as a result of the burgeoning drugs trade in the country. Recently the United Nations secretary general Ban ki-moon in August 18, 2009, issued out a report warning that “the burgeoning drugs trade in Liberia is a serious threat to the countries long-term of stability”. According to him, drug gangs continued to affect peace even in Sierra Leone and Cote d’ Ivoire and he continued that if the trend is not checked, it could spark renewed conflict in the West African region. (Source: BBC news).
Drug addition and trafficking in Liberia, is to a great extent, an aftermath of the 1989-1996 civil war. This is not surprising since these drugs were freely consumed by ex-combatants during the civil war. Years after the civil war, they continue to use these drugs because they have become addicted to it. Presently, cannabis is cultivated in southern Liberia, while Marijuana cultivation is now preferred to oil palm and rubber plantation. (www.irinews.org). Another dimension to this trend, is the diversion of drug cartels of South America to Liberia with the hope of trafficking drugs through it reroute to Europe. To streamline their schemes, they are recruiting ex-combatants who had fought during the civil war. This is a worrisome development which deserves immediate attention. Based on this backdrop, the government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf should look beyond the 13,000 strong UN peace keeping force, for an implementation of chief Ban ki- moon’s recommendation which suggests the development of national security institutions that are independently operational.
However, the UN should help the fledgling Liberian government to build this independent and unified custom, Army, and Police force in line with international standards. Moreover the Liberian government should aggressively embark on infrastructural development and rehabilitation. Priority should be given to educational and agricultural infrastructure. Resumption of iron ore exploitation at the Bomi hills area as well as regeneration of rubber and oil palm plantation will reduce the level of unemployment as well as crime in Liberia.
Multinational agencies and corporations (foreign investors) will play a great role in the resuscitation of the Liberian economy; in the light of the above, Liberians should avoid acts which could tarnish our image on the global arena. If our country will maintain a positive image in the global economic environment, Liberia will be a major investment destination and a country where most businesses will thrive in trust, good faith, competence and integrity.

NIGERIAN POLITICS AND THE ORDINARY CITIZENS:A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS.

professor Maurice Iwuh (INEC Chairman)

When Nigeria became independent in 1960, the politicians then or the founding fathers, heaved a sigh of relief which signifies freedom; i.e. freedom for self rule. In context, it was as if all the problems were gone. Moreover, the shackles of colonialism were broken and Nigerians were disposed to handling their problems by themselves and that should be good reason for celebration and thanksgiving. As such, every year, the Independence Day is celebrated in African countries to commemorate end to colonialism and beginning of self rule.
During the first republic, our founding fathers took up the responsibility of governance as sincerely as they’ve been taught. However, regional and ethnic tensions escalated quickly and they began to play politics on tribal lines. Except for few shining examples, most of our founding fathers were engaged in tribalism. Sequels to this, success in elections were based on tribal affiliations. This trend, developed sore spots on the Nigeria political landscape; leading to the fall of the first republic through a coup which was led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu. The nature of this coup triggered off a counter coup which led to the persecution of Ibos and then the civil war which ended in 1970. The military, relinquished power to a civilian government in 1983 after an election which was allegedly marred by election rigging and election manipulation. However, the populace accepted the election which heralded the second republic. After the deposition of the second republic, Nigeria went through a long period of military rule which however came to an end in 1999, ushering in the fourth republic with an election which was also marred by election rigging and speculation of rigging. Since then, Nigerians have been under civilian rule. The transition from military to civilian rule should seem like the transition from colonialism to self rule and supposedly, our leaders and politicians heaved a sigh of relief to usher in the fourth republic. However, things don’t come easy and Nigerians are still complaining because things are not getting better, rather thing are getting worse. The inflationary trend is high and the security situation is deplorable. Nigerians had hoped that the return to civilian rule would herald progress, peace and security in Nigeria, but that is not so. The leaders who usurped power after the 1999, 2003 and 2007 electoral rigging began to run a form of government which could be termed cronyism or then oligarchy since the interest of the people as a whole is subservient to the selfish interests of the rulers. In Nigeria, the national assembly, the senate and the various arms of government including the councilors enrich themselves in the expense of the rest of the populace, apparently fuelling disenchantment and severe labour unrest by different segments of the Nigerian civil service. Presently, the strike by the university lecturers is raging due to the perceived inequality and exploitation of the average Nigerian by the executives and legislative arms of government. Now the lecturers who feels that they have been short changed in comparism to government office holders have made genuine claims but the government is not ready to compromise its stand and the National executive council (NEC) of the academic staff union of Nigerian Universities (ASU) issued a statement saying that “they would rather die trying”. Now, who knows how this imbroglio would be resolved. Now, as the case between the government and ASU is still raging, the chairman of the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Maurice Iwu dropped a bombshell by saying that only the military can conduct free and fair election in Nigeria. Supposedly, Nigerians have been accusing, cursing and hurling abuses at him in hordes and in thousands. Be that as it may, we have to be sincere to ourselves. If Iwu had done anything wrong, it’s because he is coward. Though he is not the only person who has expressed reservation with the ability of the present civilian dispensation to organize genuine and flawless elections. Other Nigerians have expressed their doubts too.However; he should have resigned since he was coerced into announcing rigged results which was a tactful execution of the ruling party. Considering facts, he goofed and but he is indirectly pushing the blame on the executive when he had been a collaborator. He would have made history, if he had resigned before announcing the result. To secure his life, he would have fled to some liberal country where he will be in a better position to tell us what really happened and then, posterity will remember him for a sincere deed. Now he’d goofed and there is no remedy.
The experience of professor Maurice Iwuh, have come to show us that Nigeria neither needs the highly placed, the highly educated, the highly influential nor the powerful in order to salvage the situation. What we need are righteous men who can stand their ground when the need arises. These men of integrity could come from any aspect of the Nigerian society including the Academic, the military, the religious and so on. Hence, Nigerians should come to terms with the fact that we need reorientation and divine intervention. Let’s hope that the rebrand Nigeria project will meet its targets.

wickedness in Africa

Introduction
Wickedness comprises evil, mischief, meanness and the propensity to harm other individuals. It is a common attribute of a particular set of people, the world over. Wickedness as a vice has been perpetrated in all parts of the world; therefore, it is not restricted to Africa. However, this article will try to assess wickedness in Africa; in a historical perspective. It’s a fact, that through history, the wicked have suffered the consequences of their misdeeds.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you would live long live well, for folly and wickedness shortens life. God bears with the wicked, but not forever (Miguel de Cerrantes).
Gestures of a factual African
Africa could be likened to a woman with festering sores which refuse to heal even after she’ve utilized every means at her disposal to heal the sores and quench the pains. Symbolically, the sores are the several persistent and malignant problems ravaging Africa. These problems are many and varied, but the common trend, is that a good number of these problems are self inflicted. Apart from incidents of malaria and Aids, drought, famine, occasional flooding and a few others, sub-Saharan Africa is virtually free of natural disasters. Most of the problems experienced in Africa in modern times are inflicted on African by other Africans. African inhumanity to Africans is not a new phenomenon, it dates back through history.
The slave trade and wickedness in Africa
The transatlantic slave trade started gradually in the 1450’s during the Portuguese expedition into the new world. The explorers originally intended to discover gold in large quantities in sub-Saharan Africa. This belief was fanned by stories of Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca in 1350; which he executed with several hundred slaves and several bags of Gold, creating the impression that all of sub-Saharan Africa is laden with gold. However, when the Portuguese came to Africa, they found a more valuable commodity in the form of slaves, which were actually provided by African leaders who hitherto had been practicing slavery in varied forms. Thereafter, the slave trade grew strength by strength because African’s were eager to sell their blood brothers for a pair of sandals, a mirror, a bottle of whisky, dozens of cowries, wraps of calico and so on. The period; starting from the inception of transatlantic slave trade in the 1450 till 1807, when this trade was officially abolished by the British government, could be referred to as the Era of reinvention of wickedness in Africa. During this era, anarchy reigned in Africa. The African man literally turned against his brother, clans turned against clans, nations turned against nations. The dust of wickedness dispersed to all corners of Africa because as Confucius puts it, “to see wickedness and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.
Going back through history, it becomes clear that African’s have not been their brother’s keepers. Matter of factly, the white man did not force us to sell our brothers, he never forced us to wage war on our brothers’ nation, villages etc, in order to boost the transatlantic slave trade …. The white man never forced us; although he needed people that’ll work on his farms, people that’ll work on his plantations and people who he will turn into slaves. Yeah, he’s a psycho and a brute but, it was all pleasure, selling our brothers to the white man. We never gave a damn, once we got cowries, mirrors, bunch of sweets and fake clothes etc. now the trend continues. Then, it used to be the Oba’s of Midwestern and western Nigeria, Kingdoms of fouta Djallon, Kingdom of Fouta Tooro, Kingdom of Koya, Kingdom of Khasso, Kingdom of Kaabu, confederacies of Ghana and the kingdom of Dahomey, now it’s the contemporary Africans, now it’s between the ordinary Africans and their brothers; now it’s me and you. After the abolition of slavery in 1807, by the British parliament, the king of bonny in Nigeria added thus “we think this trade must go on. This is the verdict of our oracle and the priests. They say that your country however great, can never stop a trade ordained by God himself”. (Slave trade in Africa: wikipedia).


Cannibalism and wickedness in Africa.
Pre-colonial records of Africa are rife with comprehensive accounts of cannibalism amongst Africans. (www.herefical.com/cannibal/baker1.html). These account shows that a good part of sub-Saharan Africa was engaged in cannibalism. These accounts shows that the Congo region (Congo DRC and Congo Brazzaville), a good part of central, southern, Eastern Africa and western Africa; were engaged in cannibalism. These records shows that the fang, Azande, Niam Niam, the Monbuttu, Mobangi, (Baker, 1974), Shaka and Lobengula (Lyndall beddy 2009) and some other tribes in Southern Africa , were engaged in Cannibalism. This act of wickedness was not due to the absence of Cattle, goat or poultry, but was due to traditional fetish and diabolical beliefs propagated by chiefs, kings and the witchdoctors, which tends to glorify these acts. These accounts are really nerve chilling. In recent times, cannibalism has been perpetrated in Liberia and Sierra Leon during the civil wars and in 2003, UN investigators issued out a report which showed that rebels in the Congo DRC especially the movement for liberation of Congo (MLC) and two other factions were engaged in Massacres and human right violations including Cannibalism. These people kill, mutilate and force vital organs on family members of victims for consumption. They cut people into pieces, cook their meat and share it amongst themselves. They falsely assume or they are made to believe that consuming vital organs of opponents, transfers attributes of the opponents unto themselves; yet they are still as dumb, ugly and dirty as ever. People who’ve got that kind of conviction about life would not take slave trade as a big deal; they will tell you that selling their brother to the white man then, was not an issue. At this juncture I will pose a question thus: cannibalism and the slave trade; which one is a worse crime? It’s even contemplated, that Africans, ate about the same number of people, as were sold into slavery.
On this backdrop, why then should we complain so much about colonialism and neocolonialism? Is it worse than cannibalism? Though colonialism and apartheid’ve got shortcomings too, are they worse than what we do to ourselves? If we should compare what we do to ourselves to the deeds of the white man against us; then the white man might be an angel sent into the black continent to salvage us from darkness and wickedness of the mind.
Even presently, we still kill and mutilate our brothers. Africans still kill, mutilate and dismember fellow Africans for fetish and diabolical reasons. This act is rampant in several countries of Africa especially Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Congo DRC, Congo Kinshasa, Tanzania and Kenya (kill and mutilate albinos). These acts are self-destructive. How then can we restore the dignity of man, when we fail to uphold our dignity? What dignity is left to keep, when we subjugate our kindred’s and put them at the same level with goats, pigs and poultry. If we trample on our brothers right, then we trample on our’s indirectly cos’ dignity is universal so; what you do to another, can always come back to you. Yes, what goes around, come around. Thank you.
Need for self examination by all Africans
There is need for rethink, self examination, and re-orientation among Africans. Therefore, fellow Africans, if you find yourself in position of power or if you are given control over other Africans or if you’re given so much money, guns, magical power or charms, what will you do with it? Hope you will not kill people; your enemies or anyone who crosses your path; hope you will not kill and mutilate fellow Africans like the Mai mai rebels, hope you will not steal all the money you lay your hands on? Okay. Unfortunately, that’s what many Africans will do when they’ve got power, brute strength, guns or charms.
Africans commit dastard acts as a result of jealously, envy, greed, archaic traditional beliefs, witchcraft and involvement in cultism. Others will just kill to quench their taste for blood. How can we justify the xenophobic attacks in South Africa? This was an act of inhumanity against one’s brother. How can the south African’s who are just recuperating from the stifling effects of apartheid turn around to oppress and kill fellow African’s, some of whom had sojourned to south Africa on asylum basis. Recently in Nigeria, a group which calls themselves Boko Haram (Education is sin), went on rampage in the northern city of Maiduguri killing hundreds of innocent people. We have not forgotten the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. The annual cattle rustling between the Pokots, sabiny, karamajons, Turkana, and Gabra tribes in Kenya and Uganda also portrays the negative effects of archaic traditional beliefs on Africans.
African leaders and wickedness
The basic essence of colonialism was to tame the so called uncivilized nations which included African countries. After colonization’s; came independence and freedom for self rule. One should anticipate that Africans would graduate into a period of emancipation, sober reflections and rehabilitation after independence. Rather, the African man had the freedom and liberty to unleash terror on fellow Africans just like it was during the transatlantic slavery period. Many African leaders, who took over from the colonialists, became dictatorial and were only interested in perpetuating their rule. This general mindset gave rise to rulers like Samuel. Doe of Liberia, Idi Amin of Uganda, Mobutu sese Tseko of Zaire republic, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, general Sani Abacha of Nigeria, Obiang Nguema (Alleged to be a cannibal) of Equatorial Guinea, ahmadou tanja of Niger, and a host of others. These African leaders were and are rather interested in perpetuating their rule even when they’ve put in little or nothing to the advancement of the poor African. Could we call this “African mentality”? The cycle of wickedness and associating violence continues because many African’s who have been forced into submission and civil obedience by this tyrants gradually metamorphose into villains when they are given same opportunity or when they find themselves in positions of power of affluence or when they’ve got guns or charms; such that it seems as if this phenomenon is naturally entrenched in the African mind.
Way forward
The shackles of slavery on the African mind can be broken when the African mind learns to imbibe the concept of mutuality and respect to human dignity. This is because respect of human dignity, hard work and zeal to excel goes hand in hand with success and progress. The problem with Africa is absence of role models. Africans needs men of highest virtue, who’ll serve as role models for the up coming generations. We need to leave our past and our history because it’ll continue to exert pernicious influence on us. Let us look inwardly, and grab the positive and bright spots of the African mind which encompasses virtues like love, respect, zeal, wisdom, brotherliness and so on.
Wickedness which is a vice is not an orphan. Acts of wickedness are associated with human feelings and manners of thought. The manner of thought is influenced by the environment, parental and societal orientation. Bad orientation could present a negative or bad behavior as a favourable act especially when it generates some dividend for the perpetrator. The African mind should know the difference between good and evil. Good and evil, cannot be compatible and still, any deed on earth would have implications and repercussions. “What you sow, you reap”, this is a fact, which has been clearly expatiated by all the holy books. The African mind should learn to bear with his brother; he should be his brothers’ keeper by understanding his weaknesses and then suggesting or initiating remedies and making amends when there is a breach of confidence or trust. These deeds require a sound and mature mind for possible implementation. “Love your brother as yourself” (is an admonition from the bible and the Koran). This sole admonition encapsulates the commandments of the bible. Therefore, an act which puts your brother in jeopardy will also jeopardize your existence. These expressions, boils down to the concept of mutuality. When we bear with our brothers, we will accept our individual differences; we will accommodate the varied traits and then harness the individual traits collectively for our common good. To achieve this, we should eschew vices like jealously, envy and greed. Everybody has got individual abilities which if property harnessed; leads to the Promised Land. On that backdrop, Africans should rely on their abilities (this precedes improvement of individual talents and traits and then development) which should be continually polished and improved upon through hard work and resilience. All Africans should imbibe the ideal of brotherhood of man as much as possible, because it is the key to a restoration of the dignity of the African man.