The good folks at TIME magazine are at it again with their list of nominees for person of the year (and once again showing us how myopic the American press can be... No African contender). There are only two forerunners in my book for the award: Musician Lady Gaga and recently arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a.k.a whistleblower of the year and my personal hero for 2010. Among the other 25 nominees is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, head of the proposed Cordoba House a.k.a the Islamic center a.k.a the mosque that Muslims build at the site of their conquest (or a few blocks away from it)… the last part was sarcasm. There’s former Alaskan governor- you bet’cha -Sarah Palin. Just for fun, I’d like to say as a “peaceful Muslim” I “refudiate” her nomination. Hehehehe! Of course there’s America’s chocolate savior superman, Barack Obama. Will there ever be a year during his presidency, when he doesn’t make the list?
There are some questionable nominees like ‘the unemployed American’. Well excuse me TIME, as an African who’s lived here in Nigeria long enough I can tell you ‘the unemployed African’ has been our person of the year for quite some time now, so we’re not crying over yours. Also included are villains (by American standards of course), Chinese President Hu Juntao and Tony Haywood (a villain by any standard) of BP oil spill… and they still couldn’t put Robert Mugabe… not one African. Iranian president Ahmedinajed and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez were pardoned from this year’s list… as was any African.
Other nominees include Mark Zuckerberg, founder of facebook, who has a movie- albeit one he doesn’t like, but a good one –based on his creation titled, The Social Network. There are names I never heard of or did and forgot who they were like Liu Xiaobo (he’s the guy causing trouble for the Chinese Government, kind of like how Assange is pissing the world off), J. Craig Venter (some crack scientist), Jonathan Franzen (the great American novelist, who’s great American novels I’ve never read) and a bunch of others. Still in the weird nominee category are the 33 Chilean miners who got nominated for… well being stuck in a mine, but perhaps the most undeserving is LeBron James. SERIOUSLY? For making a decision on TV? We’re not talking Michael Jordan here. LeBron made the list and no African did (LeBron being Black doesn’t count)? Still in the weird category, speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made the list. For what? I don’t live in the States, but did she really pass a bill that made America or the world better? This is the Congresswoman quoted for saying, “We have to pass the bill so that you can, uh, find out what it is?” WOW! She sounds like she belongs in the Nigerian House of Assembly. Glenn Beck’s only real achievement might be making Bill O’Reilly look meek.
So who should’ve made the list, but didn’t? Judeo Mayor Michael Bloomberg who stood up for the Cordoba House, while the Christeo-Muslim president flip-flopped on the issue. (See what I just did there? I’M A GENUIUS. In order not to irk any fanatical Jew or Muslim, I’ll save the term Judeo-Muslim for another day.) For all her good work (depending which Korea you ask) Hillary Clinton didn’t make the list.
And now to the main issue at hand: who should win? I’ll tell you who I think should win, screw the TIME panel. Lady Gaga. Why? Line up a picture of all the nominated contestants and ask a 9 year old with Cable TV who they know/who’s more popular? Ra-ra-ra-ra-ra!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
AFTER THE OIL IS GONE… LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT!
Oil has been the backbone of our nation’s economy since its discovery and exportation in the late 50s (discovered in ’56 and first exported in ’58, check your history). Recently other industries have sprung up putting our nation on the map beyond just oil and kidnapping… and militancy… and a failed underpants bomber. The Nigerian movie industry known as Nollywood (a name I dread) has for the past decade or so presented a somewhat decent image of our nation… as decent as Nigerian standards go. There’s the ever growing music industry, which if I had my way I’d be a part of, if I can just be serious enough and pay for studio time, but that’s beside the point. The aforementioned “industries” are fine and great, but nothing sustains Nigeria quite like the Petroleum sector, which begs the question what happens if it becomes less viable. Like if the U.S government being the super-power that they are decided they want to manufacture electric cars (highly unlikely, but still), thus rendering us and Saudi Arabia- two of their biggest oil partners -useless. At least the Arab nations will corner Asia faster than we can learn Chinese, so where does that leave us?
The point of any industry in Nigeria right now in my opinion is to get ready to take over and be the next leading sector of our economy. Unfortunately not everybody thinks like me. No sector seems close to take over from our dear Petroleum. What about the people (deceiving people) industry a.k.a politics? No, that’s how we got into most of this mess in the first place. That and the fact that, its funding (salaries, largess, prostitute mistress money and such) relies heavily on what we make from oil. Again, petroleum saves the day (no wonder the militants love it). Perhaps the textile industry? Dead! Tourism? To be kidnapped by militants? No! Nollywood and the music industry? Mostly self-serving, not to mention lack of quality on Nollywood’s part. Sports? Well not after Amos Adamu and his FIFA fiasco!
Forgot finding the next big industry, what about reducing our incessant need for imported goods? Did the Buy Nigeria campaign just die, like we’re waiting for Rebrand Nigeria to? Or were our ladies to busy buying Manolo Blahniks and Christian Louboutins to notice (before you question my sexuality, I had to consult google on the spelling of those). But to be fair to Rebrand Nigeria, it was dead from the inception, it won’t even get to rise like the phoenix. What Nigeria needs is restructuring, less rebranding. We’re already damaged. And now word is Aunty Dora wants us to stopping calling Nigeria, Naija, as if that’s not a derivative of Lady Shaw’s christening.
So just for fun I decided to list some key industries and see how viable they are in being our economy’s next source of income, not that they’re even close, but still. These are my assessments of course; feel free to let me know yours. So here we go:
FOOD STUFFS/DRINKS: Well with the likes of Dangote, Chivita and Indomie (though foreign, but made in Naija), I’ll give this sector 8/10. The only problem here is we still import things we can grow like rice.
Possible measure: Ban the importation of rice.
Disadvantage: Putting importers and certain people out of business, which I’d hate to see happen. Things are bad enough as it is.
READY-MADE CLOTHES & TEXTILES: Once upon a time there was once a great textile industry in this nation. There still is… in Aba, but mostly ready-made, not textile. Nigerians do make their own clothes, we just often don’t brand as much. The truth is not everybody can brand agbada and kaftan and charge a stupendous amount because there’s a tag on it. Are you mad? I’ll just go find another tailor, preferably one who lives under a Dollar a day.
Assessment : 5/10.
Possible measure: All these new kids who love to rebrand their t-shirts with Naija slogans or rather the people who do it for them, should think of approaching local football teams to have their jerseys branded (just remember na me come up with the idea first, I deserve one free jersey o!). You will make money… providing the football teams have money to spend.
LEATHER GOODS:
Assessment: 1/10. The 1 is for Pomo, which Baba Shege likes.
WOOD PRODUCTS: Yes we have carpenters, but there isn’t much of a wood industry per se. We’d rather buy imported wardrobes, than have them built if we can afford it.
Possible measure: Destroy all gas cookers. Are they made here?
Disadvantage: The hunger rate will rise.
Assessment: 3/10
PAPER & PAPER PRODUCTS, PRINTING AND PUBLISHING: Here is a sector I think we do quite well in. I remember reading that back in the days some Nigerian newspapers were printed abroad in England and brought back into the country the following day. Gone are those days. Plus you’d be crazy to try that these days unless half your publication is based abroad.
Assessment: 7/10
Possible measure: All this sector needs when it comes to newspapers is more factual stories than speculation. Today Jonathan dumps Sambo, tomorrow he’s fighting King Kong in the jungles of South America. And publishing houses need to start publishing our authors, that’s one industry that needs growth.
Disadvantage: No one is publishing books on a grand scale.
CHEMICAL INDISTRIES (PETRO-CHEMICALS, RUBBER & PLASTICS): I believe we do well here too considering we produce a lot of plastic goods from buckets to plastic water bottles (we need to find an efficient way of recycling the latter) to the fact that in the past people were able to get their hands on acid… that last one should not be funny!
Assessment: 6/10
CHINA, EARTHENWARE, POTTERY, PORCELAIN AND GLASS: Er… while I believe all these things can and are being made in Nigeria, especially Pottery (shouts out to my people in Niger State. Our basketball team is called the Niger Potters… screw the boy wizard). The question is: is there much of an industry to any of them?
Assessment: 4/10
BUILDING MATERIALS: We produce Julius Berger, Dantata & Sawoe… Okay, I kid. Julius Berger is German and Dantata & Sawoe are our own (let me find out they’re from Cameroun). But seriously as far as actual building material, we produce cement bags (with the cement inside of course… not at the same time) bricks and other such primary building materials. What I’m not sure we produce and I doubt we do are the machines used in the day to day operations of building. I mean Ajekouta isn’t running, so that should tell you something about us (n)ever building machines.
Assessment: 8/10
METAL INDUSTRIES: Again, Ajekouta isn’t running.
Assessment: 1/10
Possible measure: Stop the politicking and bring back Ajekouta.
Disadvantage: How can there be a disadvantage to this?
What industry do you think I forgot (don’t mention Nollywood) and do you agree with my assessment? Not that I will lose any sleep if you disagree, but let me know. Peace!
The point of any industry in Nigeria right now in my opinion is to get ready to take over and be the next leading sector of our economy. Unfortunately not everybody thinks like me. No sector seems close to take over from our dear Petroleum. What about the people (deceiving people) industry a.k.a politics? No, that’s how we got into most of this mess in the first place. That and the fact that, its funding (salaries, largess, prostitute mistress money and such) relies heavily on what we make from oil. Again, petroleum saves the day (no wonder the militants love it). Perhaps the textile industry? Dead! Tourism? To be kidnapped by militants? No! Nollywood and the music industry? Mostly self-serving, not to mention lack of quality on Nollywood’s part. Sports? Well not after Amos Adamu and his FIFA fiasco!
Forgot finding the next big industry, what about reducing our incessant need for imported goods? Did the Buy Nigeria campaign just die, like we’re waiting for Rebrand Nigeria to? Or were our ladies to busy buying Manolo Blahniks and Christian Louboutins to notice (before you question my sexuality, I had to consult google on the spelling of those). But to be fair to Rebrand Nigeria, it was dead from the inception, it won’t even get to rise like the phoenix. What Nigeria needs is restructuring, less rebranding. We’re already damaged. And now word is Aunty Dora wants us to stopping calling Nigeria, Naija, as if that’s not a derivative of Lady Shaw’s christening.
So just for fun I decided to list some key industries and see how viable they are in being our economy’s next source of income, not that they’re even close, but still. These are my assessments of course; feel free to let me know yours. So here we go:
FOOD STUFFS/DRINKS: Well with the likes of Dangote, Chivita and Indomie (though foreign, but made in Naija), I’ll give this sector 8/10. The only problem here is we still import things we can grow like rice.
Possible measure: Ban the importation of rice.
Disadvantage: Putting importers and certain people out of business, which I’d hate to see happen. Things are bad enough as it is.
READY-MADE CLOTHES & TEXTILES: Once upon a time there was once a great textile industry in this nation. There still is… in Aba, but mostly ready-made, not textile. Nigerians do make their own clothes, we just often don’t brand as much. The truth is not everybody can brand agbada and kaftan and charge a stupendous amount because there’s a tag on it. Are you mad? I’ll just go find another tailor, preferably one who lives under a Dollar a day.
Assessment : 5/10.
Possible measure: All these new kids who love to rebrand their t-shirts with Naija slogans or rather the people who do it for them, should think of approaching local football teams to have their jerseys branded (just remember na me come up with the idea first, I deserve one free jersey o!). You will make money… providing the football teams have money to spend.
LEATHER GOODS:
Assessment: 1/10. The 1 is for Pomo, which Baba Shege likes.
WOOD PRODUCTS: Yes we have carpenters, but there isn’t much of a wood industry per se. We’d rather buy imported wardrobes, than have them built if we can afford it.
Possible measure: Destroy all gas cookers. Are they made here?
Disadvantage: The hunger rate will rise.
Assessment: 3/10
PAPER & PAPER PRODUCTS, PRINTING AND PUBLISHING: Here is a sector I think we do quite well in. I remember reading that back in the days some Nigerian newspapers were printed abroad in England and brought back into the country the following day. Gone are those days. Plus you’d be crazy to try that these days unless half your publication is based abroad.
Assessment: 7/10
Possible measure: All this sector needs when it comes to newspapers is more factual stories than speculation. Today Jonathan dumps Sambo, tomorrow he’s fighting King Kong in the jungles of South America. And publishing houses need to start publishing our authors, that’s one industry that needs growth.
Disadvantage: No one is publishing books on a grand scale.
CHEMICAL INDISTRIES (PETRO-CHEMICALS, RUBBER & PLASTICS): I believe we do well here too considering we produce a lot of plastic goods from buckets to plastic water bottles (we need to find an efficient way of recycling the latter) to the fact that in the past people were able to get their hands on acid… that last one should not be funny!
Assessment: 6/10
CHINA, EARTHENWARE, POTTERY, PORCELAIN AND GLASS: Er… while I believe all these things can and are being made in Nigeria, especially Pottery (shouts out to my people in Niger State. Our basketball team is called the Niger Potters… screw the boy wizard). The question is: is there much of an industry to any of them?
Assessment: 4/10
BUILDING MATERIALS: We produce Julius Berger, Dantata & Sawoe… Okay, I kid. Julius Berger is German and Dantata & Sawoe are our own (let me find out they’re from Cameroun). But seriously as far as actual building material, we produce cement bags (with the cement inside of course… not at the same time) bricks and other such primary building materials. What I’m not sure we produce and I doubt we do are the machines used in the day to day operations of building. I mean Ajekouta isn’t running, so that should tell you something about us (n)ever building machines.
Assessment: 8/10
METAL INDUSTRIES: Again, Ajekouta isn’t running.
Assessment: 1/10
Possible measure: Stop the politicking and bring back Ajekouta.
Disadvantage: How can there be a disadvantage to this?
What industry do you think I forgot (don’t mention Nollywood) and do you agree with my assessment? Not that I will lose any sleep if you disagree, but let me know. Peace!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
MY INAUGURATION
My inauguration shall take place at 11:00a.m. No more 7 or 8 o’clock swearing in. I want the whole country to be awake when I’m sworn in, this isn’t a Yar’adua presidency. I shall arrive in an el-Rufai bus adorning the Nigerian flag and presidential seal with all my staff. As always the inauguration shall take place at Eagles Square. The purpose of the bus is to signify a new change in government, a symbol of the time of the common man.
At 12:00p.m, I shall address both chambers of the house at the National Assembly and ask them to cut their July/August holiday short. Seeing as I shall be sworn on May 31st, I need them working for more than a month. Governance is not a holiday, IT IS A JOB and I need my soldiers with me. It will be my first proposal to the house. All that money they’re being paid, they can afford to forfeit half their holiday. And thus starts my first conflict with the house.
At 3p.m, I shall meet with the men of the Nigerian Army and talk of/about our various peace keeping missions abroad, as well as the ones in our dear nation like the Niger Delta and Jos and the need to secure our borders from unwanted individuals. At 5p.m, I shall meet the youth organizations and various other groups who helped campaign for me and show some gratitude. This is of course if I was truly voted in and not unconstitutionally rigged in like *ahem*, you know who, what with this charade we have called democracy.
At 8p.m, we shall have the state dinner. All government officials as well as foreign diplomats will be invited, not to mention members of the press. The dinner shall be at the State House. If not, there’s always the I.C.C (International Conference Center).
At 10p.m, it’s off to bed as I pray God grants me the wisdom to lead my people and accomplish what has never been done. I then kiss my wife (that woman whose being by my side when I was a nobody that used to walk and enter bus before being able to buy Tokunbo car) and then face the next four years of my life under the most scrutiny any individual in this country can go through. A prison full of luxuries.
BELOW IS A DETAILED OUTLINE FOR THE DAY:
INAUGURATION DAY ACTIVITIES
10:30 President shall depart the villa by bus.
11:00 Inauguration shall start
12:00 NASS Address
15:00 Meeting with military personnel (Army Ball)
17:00 Meeting with youth organizations (Youth Ball)
20:00 Evening Ball at Villa
Side Note: The Youth Ball shall start at 16:30; the President shall be expected by 17:00. The Evening Ball shall last from 20:00-22:00.
Concerning the public bus, in which the president shall be transported in, a bus shall be chosen, cleaned and have no advert placements. It shall be decorated with the Nigerian flag colours and Presidential Seal, which shall be taken off by the day’s end. The chosen driver of the bus shall be paid a sum of N500, 000.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTIONS
It’s the day after the elections and I have been confirmed the winner of the 2011 election. The results had been mentioned in the early hours of the morning. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing, with friends and well-wishers calling me, “Mr. President”. I say my morning prayers and pray God guides me through the next four years. I’ve already decided who will make my cabinet, Federal Character is about to be thrown out the door.
As the sun rises and brings in a new day, I call those who have made my campaign team, some of who will still serve under my administration. The first order of the day is to thank the Nigerian public and to also visit the INEC office and congratulate them on holding a free and fair election this time. Although I don’t see how this was possible with Maurice Iwu in charge, although I heard the youth of Nigeria under such groups as Enough is Enough Nigeria made sure their every votes were counted.
I also meet with military officials, specifically the JTF (Joint Task Force) to discuss the situation in the Niger Delta and tell them we will double troops for what is about to come. I will also have a secret meeting with senior military brass to talk “emergency exits” in the case of another Jos crisis. In reality this will be a meeting on how if need be Plateau State will be divided between neighbouring states. It shall be called, “The Plateau Solution” and shall serve as a possible exit strategy to any other state that gets caught up in sectarian violence. Imagine if the public knew of this, but as a soon to be head-of-state I have to take bold decisions.
I shall also discuss with my team about who will head my proposed Audit Bureau, which will check the every financial transactions of the ministries. Although not capable of arrests on its own, the Audit Bureau will partner with EFCC when it comes to catching culprits. There will be a visit to the Department of Statistics at CBN to discuss the important of gathering statistics, specifically that of people who die in hospitals. The sooner we know we know what kills us the most, the better we will have an idea on helping the health sector on needed equipments and medicine. This will obvious involve the Health ministry.
All these meetings don’t have to take place in one day of course. What’s important is that in the days leading to my inauguration, I have a clear vision of what I want to accomplish in my first months. There will be no promise of an “energy emergency” like my predecessor had and no 7-point agendas either. Perhaps my biggest challenge will be convincing the political system to get rid of Federal Character when it comes to choosing my cabinet; you know how Nigerian politicians love politicking. It is then I will be accused of serving a Northern agenda or working for the South (a puppet with a Northern face, they’ll say). Clearly I am not going to please everybody and some states will claim that they are not represented. I believe that’s what your House of Representatives are for; to represent every region of every state. This shouldn’t have to include the ministers of my cabinet. If I can’t have capable hands with me, just because one state doesn’t have a minister, there’s already a problem! My headaches have begun!
Four or eight years down the line, I will face an even similar challenge as I try to convince my party to get rid of zoning. “He wants his fellow Northerner to continue.” “He wants the South to regain power again”. Such and such will be said. Surely it isn’t easy to be president; well at least I pray I have my health through it all!
Note: Watch out for my inauguration plans!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
OF STATES AND KINGDOMS
We all know the facts: there are 36 states, 1 federal capital territory, 6 geo-political states and numerous kingdoms spread from the North to the East and from the South to the West, yet today those facts maybe changed if some people have their ways. Groups of people from different ethnicities and religions have been calling for the creation of more states for reasons best known to them. Let me state clearly I am not against these people or anyone who wishes to see the creation of a new state. I am interested in knowing of what benefit it is to the greater Nigeria. Also in some states we’ve seen the creation of new emirates and kingdoms, Borno being the latest examples.
Despite the fact that we have states run by Governors, we find emirates and kingdoms within which are ruled by emirs and chiefs respectively. How much influence these kingdoms have depends largely on the followers but we know Abacha did once remove a former Sultan of Sokoto, which means the Federal Government seems to have a larger autonomy over them. Apart from the Sultan of Sokoto who serves as a figure head of the nation’s Muslim population, all other traditional rulers rule over a specified area of land, which -without being prejudice here- puts the Sultan a tad above them, for while his Caliphate may be in Sokoto he presides over a populace not specified to any state, like the head of CAN does. Which puts him out of the next equation: understanding that these traditional kingdoms serve as a link to our pre-colonial past, some have argued for and against them.
Most people, who argue for, see the rulers and kingdoms as a connection to our past and for their great influence in society. Those who have argued against, have citied the lack of influence of some, as well as what they see as excess money being spent on the rulers by the federal government. My reason for excluding the Sultan of Sokoto from the rest of the rulers is simply because (among other things) going by our recent history of violence (and politics), it is clear we need representatives for the two major religions of this country. The head of CAN is not a traditional title as no such position existed pre-colonialism, but after. What makes the issue of traditional kingdoms even trickier is the fact that the rulers are divided into first class, second class and third class, which means one group, has a higher autonomy over the other and so on.
Lest we forget, it was through these various traditional kingdoms that the colonials were able to establish what will eventually become Nigeria. Some kingdoms were more receptive to the colonials, others weren’t. Furthermore some states were created based on the existing emirate(s)/kingdom(s) within. An example would be Kano state. It would be impossible to imagine a Kano state without a Kano emirate, yet a Kano emirate without a Kano state is quite plausible. Likewise in the Southern part of the country we have Oyo state, whose creation can be said to have been based on the existing Oyo Kingdom. Again in the North-East, we have Borno state, whose existence too can be said to have been based on its Kanem-Borno empire. Sokoto is there, we can go on and on, yet the argument for more states and the existence of traditional kingdoms is one that has always opened the door for debate.
Perhaps to clear the air on the issue, I should state my stand on both. First of all I believe there are enough states in Nigeria, but if a proposed state is seen to bring some sort of economical welfare to the greater nation and its people (as some have claimed) then I think it should be seriously considered, but not necessarily created. Also if the creation of states leads to peace, say for example, in the case of another Plateau crisis (as has happened quite recently), then as heartbreaking as it may be for some, it should be seriously considered. As for traditional kingdoms, I can respect them, particularly their past. I do however think there are enough and no newer ones should be established.
So do you think Nigeria needs more states and why? And are you for or against the traditional kingdoms? One Nigeria!
Monday, February 22, 2010
HOW NOT TO CELEBRATE NIGERIA AT 50
With 8 months to go till Nigeria’s Independence anniversary, it’s never too early to start to figure out ways to celebrate our journey so far. However one question looms over our heads as a nation; is there a cause to celebrate? Already THISDAY C.E.O Nduka has marred our celebration in my opinion, by inviting former Prime Minister Tony Blair, former U.S President George W. Bush and his one-time crony former U.S Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to the 15th annual THISDAY awards which took place this month. I spoke against this on this very blog under the title “We don’t war criminals celebrating our independence”. I even started a group on facebook of the same name to little fanfare, so you could imagine my surprise on Sunday evening when I found out about 100 protesters led by Shehu Sani were arrested for protesting the invitation of said individuals.
To my surprise, there wasn’t much outrage from the media earlier on or even leading up to the event and/or against the invitations. I doubt the protest was even covered by the local media, let alone for it to be shown on international TV. I think it was from Ishaq Kawu Modibbo of Daily Trust that I first heard of Nduka’s invitation of Blair and Rice (Bush was not yet mentioned, perhaps for obvious reasons) about a month ago, that sprung me into action. The most common response I got from people, whenever I raised the issue of the irony of the invite was that Nduka is a businessman. Clearly, but where’s his patriotism? On Nduka’s behalf (not that I’m standing for him), perhaps we should ask if our patriotism still exist in the first place? But even if it didn’t, one can clearly see the irony of inviting these individuals who participated in orchestrating a war that robbed a people of their freedom celebrating that of another. Our independence celebration is starting off on a bad step, not to mention until recently we didn’t have a captain to stir the nation… and the one we presently have is just acting, lest we forget.
Other basic issues come to the table when discussing Nigeria at 50 like education (how far have we gone or regressed rather), health (people are still being flown out of the country. Exhibit A: Yar’adau), international bodies (should we still be borrowing from the IMF, the World Bank and such), unemployment. The list is endless. I purposely did not mention corruption, because that can easily be credited for the cause of all our problems, but is it? If it is the people who participate in corruption, then aren’t the people or rather aren’t we the problem? Clearly it must be a psyche problem as corruption has become a bona fide part of the Nigerian experience. I refuse to accept it as a Nigerian culture. So without much ado, what are we celebrating?
To my surprise, there wasn’t much outrage from the media earlier on or even leading up to the event and/or against the invitations. I doubt the protest was even covered by the local media, let alone for it to be shown on international TV. I think it was from Ishaq Kawu Modibbo of Daily Trust that I first heard of Nduka’s invitation of Blair and Rice (Bush was not yet mentioned, perhaps for obvious reasons) about a month ago, that sprung me into action. The most common response I got from people, whenever I raised the issue of the irony of the invite was that Nduka is a businessman. Clearly, but where’s his patriotism? On Nduka’s behalf (not that I’m standing for him), perhaps we should ask if our patriotism still exist in the first place? But even if it didn’t, one can clearly see the irony of inviting these individuals who participated in orchestrating a war that robbed a people of their freedom celebrating that of another. Our independence celebration is starting off on a bad step, not to mention until recently we didn’t have a captain to stir the nation… and the one we presently have is just acting, lest we forget.
Other basic issues come to the table when discussing Nigeria at 50 like education (how far have we gone or regressed rather), health (people are still being flown out of the country. Exhibit A: Yar’adau), international bodies (should we still be borrowing from the IMF, the World Bank and such), unemployment. The list is endless. I purposely did not mention corruption, because that can easily be credited for the cause of all our problems, but is it? If it is the people who participate in corruption, then aren’t the people or rather aren’t we the problem? Clearly it must be a psyche problem as corruption has become a bona fide part of the Nigerian experience. I refuse to accept it as a Nigerian culture. So without much ado, what are we celebrating?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
REFLECTURES: CELEBRATING NIGERIA AT 50
ONE OF MY BIGGEST COMPLAINTS ABOUT NIGERIA, IS THAT EVERYONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, BUT CAN'T OFFER CONCRETE ANSWERS. SO IN RESPONSE TO MY RECENT RANT ABOUT THISDAY NEWSPAPER INVITING FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR AND FORMER US. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEZZA RICE, HERE IS HOW I THINK WE SHOULD CELEBRATE/USHER IN OUR 50TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY. WE ALL KNOW THERE ISN'T MUCH TO CELEBRATE, BUT THERE'S MUCH TO DEBATE, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK:
As Nigeria enters its 50th year, it would seem only evident to usher it in and celebrate it with a series of reflectures (reflection lectures) called The Reflectures: Nigeria at 50, a 4 part round table on keys issues concerning the state of the nation. The reflectures shall deal with the following issues:
• Education
• Health & Environment
• Vision 20: 2020, M.D.Gs, IMF and Foreign Policies
• Unemployment
Each lecture shall be set three months apart and preferably televised on TV. The events shall be opened to the public and will include special invited guests to discuss each season’s topic.
SPECIAL ASISTANCE:
To get the most out of our lecture series, the co-operation of the Ministry of Information and Communication shall be vital.
VENUE:
The choice of venue needs to be able to carry an audience as well as a television crew if possible.
BACKGROUND:
The background of each event is important and should include the words “NIGERIA AT 50” clearly visible on wallpaper and perhaps the main topic being discussed.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance should be open to the public.
PROMOTION:
The promotion of each lecture shall include the use of the social Internet groups such as facebook to create awareness by getting the public to participate and to send in questions they’d like to have answered.
POSSIBLE ISSUES TO DISCUSS AT EACH REFLECTURE
EDUCATION:
• Achieving the M.D.G on education
• Why there’s no ministry of higher education and if they should be
• ASUU strikes
• How will the Abdulmuttalab terror incident affect Nigerian students wishing to study abroad, especially those with Arabic names and/or Islamic backgrounds?
• Adult illiteracy
• The future of Nigerian education
POSSIBLE GUESTS:
• Special assistant to the president on the M.D.G- Hajiya Amina Az- Zabur
• Minister of Education- Dr. Sam Egwe
• Minister of State for Education- Hajiya Aishatu Jibril Dukku
• President of ASUU
• President Abuja Writers Forum- Dr. Emmanuel Shehu
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT:
• General public sanitation
• Malaria and H.I.V/AIDS awareness
• The treatment of gunshot wound victims
• Climate Change
POSSIBLE GUESTS:
• Minister of health
• D.G NAFDAC
• Minister of Environment
• Minister of Police Affairs
• Minister of the F.C.T- Senator Adamu Aliero
• Interested N.G.Os
VISION 20: 2020, M.D.G, I.M.F AND NIGERIA’S FOREIGN CONUNDRUM:
• How feasible is Vision 20: 2020?
• How far with the M.D.G?
• How does Vision 20: 2020 and M.D.G relate to the president’s 7 point agenda?
• Should Nigeria be borrowing from the I.M.F?
• Nigeria’s placing on the U.S terror list.
POSSIBLE GUESTS:
• Minister of Finance- Mallam Mukthar
• Minister of National Planning- Dr. Shamsudeen Usman
• The Vision 20: 2020 committee
• Special Assistant to the President on the M.D.G- Hajiya Amina Az-Zabur
• The President’s special assistance on the 7 Point Agenda
• Head of I.M.F in Nigeria
UNEMPLOYMENT
• How to solve the crisis of unemployment
• The impact, if any, of N.Y.S.C on employment
POSSIBLE GUESTS:
• Minister of Labour
• D.G N.Y.S.C
As Nigeria enters its 50th year, it would seem only evident to usher it in and celebrate it with a series of reflectures (reflection lectures) called The Reflectures: Nigeria at 50, a 4 part round table on keys issues concerning the state of the nation. The reflectures shall deal with the following issues:
• Education
• Health & Environment
• Vision 20: 2020, M.D.Gs, IMF and Foreign Policies
• Unemployment
Each lecture shall be set three months apart and preferably televised on TV. The events shall be opened to the public and will include special invited guests to discuss each season’s topic.
SPECIAL ASISTANCE:
To get the most out of our lecture series, the co-operation of the Ministry of Information and Communication shall be vital.
VENUE:
The choice of venue needs to be able to carry an audience as well as a television crew if possible.
BACKGROUND:
The background of each event is important and should include the words “NIGERIA AT 50” clearly visible on wallpaper and perhaps the main topic being discussed.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance should be open to the public.
PROMOTION:
The promotion of each lecture shall include the use of the social Internet groups such as facebook to create awareness by getting the public to participate and to send in questions they’d like to have answered.
POSSIBLE ISSUES TO DISCUSS AT EACH REFLECTURE
EDUCATION:
• Achieving the M.D.G on education
• Why there’s no ministry of higher education and if they should be
• ASUU strikes
• How will the Abdulmuttalab terror incident affect Nigerian students wishing to study abroad, especially those with Arabic names and/or Islamic backgrounds?
• Adult illiteracy
• The future of Nigerian education
POSSIBLE GUESTS:
• Special assistant to the president on the M.D.G- Hajiya Amina Az- Zabur
• Minister of Education- Dr. Sam Egwe
• Minister of State for Education- Hajiya Aishatu Jibril Dukku
• President of ASUU
• President Abuja Writers Forum- Dr. Emmanuel Shehu
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT:
• General public sanitation
• Malaria and H.I.V/AIDS awareness
• The treatment of gunshot wound victims
• Climate Change
POSSIBLE GUESTS:
• Minister of health
• D.G NAFDAC
• Minister of Environment
• Minister of Police Affairs
• Minister of the F.C.T- Senator Adamu Aliero
• Interested N.G.Os
VISION 20: 2020, M.D.G, I.M.F AND NIGERIA’S FOREIGN CONUNDRUM:
• How feasible is Vision 20: 2020?
• How far with the M.D.G?
• How does Vision 20: 2020 and M.D.G relate to the president’s 7 point agenda?
• Should Nigeria be borrowing from the I.M.F?
• Nigeria’s placing on the U.S terror list.
POSSIBLE GUESTS:
• Minister of Finance- Mallam Mukthar
• Minister of National Planning- Dr. Shamsudeen Usman
• The Vision 20: 2020 committee
• Special Assistant to the President on the M.D.G- Hajiya Amina Az-Zabur
• The President’s special assistance on the 7 Point Agenda
• Head of I.M.F in Nigeria
UNEMPLOYMENT
• How to solve the crisis of unemployment
• The impact, if any, of N.Y.S.C on employment
POSSIBLE GUESTS:
• Minister of Labour
• D.G N.Y.S.C
Monday, January 25, 2010
WE DON'T WANT WAR CRIMINALS CELEBRATING OUR INDEPENDENCE!
THISDAY newspaper has announced it will be inviting former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former U.S secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to celebrate Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary, referring to them as “rightly honourable” and “honourable” respectively. The event will be the 15th annual THISDAY awards taking place on February 21st, 2010, which would be broadcast live on TV and on the web. As a side note, for those of you not Nigerian, Nigeria’s independence actually takes place on October 1st, but this is somewhat of a pre-celebration tagged by THISDAY as “Nigeria at 50”.
I don’t think I need to tell you who these two individuals are or even yet what crimes they have committed against humanity. If this is how THISDAY CEO, Ndukka wishes to spend his company’s money in celebrating our independence, he might as well have invited African war criminals like Charles Taylor instead of spending money on these two. Or why not invite controversial African leaders like Robert Mugabe or Omar Al-Bashir or the ones we even have at home, at least they’re Nigerians. Why reach out to the West? Why pay for their accommodation? What have they done for us? Why is Condoleezza planning to visit a country that has been put on her nation’s terror list? I guess terrorist know each other. That might explain why Blair is coming too. It all makes sense now.
It’s a good thing THISDAY has so far made no mention of where the awards shall take place, perhaps in fear of rightly angered Nigerians bum-rushing the event. We are terrorists after all, isn’t that what we’ve been labeled recently? Even worse than the invitation of the disastrous two, is the omission of General Murtala Mohammed in the “Visionary Leaders and Fighters” section of THISDAY’S names of Nigerians to be awarded. How do Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo get honoured, while a man who was killed for his country is being left out? These four are still alive more or less playing politics with no concrete results. What is wrong with Ndukka’s THSIDAY? PLEASE!
Feel free to join the group at facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=448874095202
I don’t think I need to tell you who these two individuals are or even yet what crimes they have committed against humanity. If this is how THISDAY CEO, Ndukka wishes to spend his company’s money in celebrating our independence, he might as well have invited African war criminals like Charles Taylor instead of spending money on these two. Or why not invite controversial African leaders like Robert Mugabe or Omar Al-Bashir or the ones we even have at home, at least they’re Nigerians. Why reach out to the West? Why pay for their accommodation? What have they done for us? Why is Condoleezza planning to visit a country that has been put on her nation’s terror list? I guess terrorist know each other. That might explain why Blair is coming too. It all makes sense now.
It’s a good thing THISDAY has so far made no mention of where the awards shall take place, perhaps in fear of rightly angered Nigerians bum-rushing the event. We are terrorists after all, isn’t that what we’ve been labeled recently? Even worse than the invitation of the disastrous two, is the omission of General Murtala Mohammed in the “Visionary Leaders and Fighters” section of THISDAY’S names of Nigerians to be awarded. How do Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo get honoured, while a man who was killed for his country is being left out? These four are still alive more or less playing politics with no concrete results. What is wrong with Ndukka’s THSIDAY? PLEASE!
Feel free to join the group at facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=448874095202
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
IN DEFENSE OF AVATAR
The recent Golden Globe winner for best drama, Avatar has been under some scrutiny for some time up to its recent award achievement. Some critics (including Weekly Trust’s Abdulkareem Baba Aminu) have blasted the movie for having what they describe as “racial undertones”, where once again an indigenous people (in this case the Na’vis) are saved by another white man. Really? I didn’t see it that way, maybe because the hero was blue for most of the movie. The major flaw of Avatar, if any as Peter Traverse (movie critic for Rolling Stone) put is, is that the movie “is a cross between Pochantas and Dances with Wolves (sic)” with 3D effects.
Yes, the story of Avatar is recycled so to say and like in Pochantas (which I never bothered to watch till the end, because I never believed Disney could top The Lion King) and Dances with Wolves (which I’ve never seen, but know it stars Kevin Costner who sides with an Indian tribe he’s been sent to kill) the hero belongs to an imperialistic people. In the case of Avatar, the imperialists are us… humans. If black critics or white ones even are complaining about the movie’s saviour being white, I don’t remember white people complaining about the numerous times Will Smith has saved the world (Independence Day, Men In Black, I Am Legend, e.t.c). And no, I don’t think white people see Will Smith as one of them in terms of skin colour or as a non-threatening black. Let’s remember Ice Cube of the one-time gangster rap group N.W.A saved the president and the United States in Triple X: State of the Union and he’s had a “threatening” image over the years rapping about “F—k the Police” and white/black equality, which can be considered threatening to the status quo in America. Although, Ice Cube has softened that image with his family movies… people have to grow up sometimes.
The only complaint about Independence Day was from some Arab critics who weren’t happy that Jeff Goldblum’s character (who helped saved the world) was Jewish in what they claim was Jews restating their “chosen people” status. But that’s not what I’m debating here and that was a long time ago. No one complained when Marlon Wayans’ character in the God awful G.I Joe saved the White House and its white president. I mean I was happy to say a black man who wasn’t Will Smith or Denzel Washington saving the world, even if he was part of a team. Usually it’s the aforementioned two who get to the saving. Admittedly, none of these black actors saved an indigenous people. No, they saved the whole world.
Back to Avatar which also caught heat from the Vatican, for what it described as the worship of nature being a replacement for the worship of God as the underlying message of the movie. Really? I didn’t see that too. Now I don’t know James Cameron’s religious affiliation or if he has any, but last I checked he or any other Hollywood director were not answerable to the Vatican, but to studio executives who want the money they spent back and more. Now I’m treading carefully here, before I get labeled “anti-Christian”, plus my birth name doesn’t help matters, but Avatar didn’t seem to make a mockery of any religion. Yes, the Na’vis worshipped their surrounding, but so did/do the Native Americans. Also there’s no denying the environment is a big issue today. Yes, it’s perhaps the movie’s most obvious underlying message, but no where is there an indication of it as a new substitute for those who already belong to an established religion. The movie raised some issues about our actions as humans towards the environment, which I believe we should respect (I did not say worship).
If there’s any movie I think the Vatican should be targeting, it’s “The Book of Eli” starring Denzel Washington (is anyone complaining about him saving the world now?), where the hero is carrying the last Bible in the world and that doesn’t sound right!
Back to the issue of racial undertones, there’s no denying Hollywood has made movies with such themes. I remember Chris Rock being interviewed on Larry King. He explained why early on in his career he turned down roles offered to him, because it involved him playing some misguided black man, who some white character would come save and he got offered the same type of role consecutively and that was what prompted him to start writing his own scripts. Nick Cannon had a similar complain claiming Hollywood didn’t make enough roles for black people. He too followed in Rock’s footsteps… less successfully. Anyone watch The Underclass man? My point exactly!
Anyone, especially Black complaining that black actors don’t get to shine in Hollywood like their white counterparts should perhaps settle for TV’s The Wire (yes I know, it’s not Hollywood), where 70% of the cast is black and their characters are, wouldn’t you believe it, intelligent too! The show with that many black people must have a black creator right? Wrong! The creator of The Wire is a Jewish white man named David Simon, who I respect for showing real life on TV if you don’t mind some occasional SVLN. I wonder if critics (black or white) would criticize him, claiming he has a “savior complex” for hiring more black people than most TV shows have or for creating some of the most intelligent characters you’ll ever see. Yes, it’s that good! It’s the best thing you’ll ever see… well I think!
Let’s look at the reverse of The Wire with Grey’s Anatomy, where the show’s creator is black and the cast seems to be getting whiter and whiter with every season (not that I or anyone is complaining, though my interest in the show has waned due to recent storylines. Yes, I watch, I’m not ashamed). No one is calling the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes a sell-out (according to her she didn’t write the characters with colour in mind) nor is she being called “the savior of white actors with no job”. But then again TV isn’t Hollywood, yet race is still an ever-present issue. The same network that produced The Wire, HBO also produced the more popular The Sorpranos, a show about a mostly racial Italian mob family. The biggest criticism of the show came from Italian Americas who felt they were portrayed as racist. Black people on other hand loved it, despite knowing the characters were written to look down on people who weren’t white or Catholic.
I agree Hollywood has made some of the most negative portrayal of a people (especially blacks, but black people have contributed as much, ahem, Flavor Flav!) like they seem to do the Arabs of recent (those of you who watch 24 know what I mean). Next it might be Nigerians specifically, even though they’ve already picked on Africans as a whole. As I recall Nigeria was one of the places the villain (Jake Sully’s marine boss) in Avatar served in clearly after some disaster happened (Abdulmuttalib aftermath maybe?).
I’ve been meaning to write about black portrayal in Hollywood for some time now. This whole issue of Avatar having “racial undertone” just brought it back up, but my interest really came when black critics took shot at Daniel Lee’s Precious, which is also making rounds this award season. Critics claimed that all the good black people in the movie were light-skinned (Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton) and that all the bad black people were dark skinned and in the antagonist’s case, overweight (Mo’nique. Although I always thought comedian Monique was fair and Lenny Kravitz, whose real-life father was white was much darker, but that’s by the way.) I hear this light skin/ dark skin has/is being made an issue in the United States among black people and whites as well. I wouldn’t know, plus I haven’t seen the movie. I have however seen District 9, it of Akunyili fame and my only complain about the Nigerian portrayal was they spoke a South African dialect and were suspiciously all dark-skinned and you know we’re not all dark-skinned. If anyone should’ve complained about District 9, it should’ve been the light-skinned people of Nigeria, for not being represented. As far as Nigerians mainly being villains, all you have to do is pick up a newspaper for proof of that. I just the hope the minister doesn’t read this!!!
Another criticism of Precious was that the title character, who is overweight would imagine herself as a skinny white/fair girl. Yes, they’ve been all-round general criticism of the “skinny white girl”, even from fat white girls. The criticism of Precious had me thinking of other black movies and portrayals like the hood classics Boys N The Hood (which I absolutely love, even if for Laurence Fishburne’s minor role as a Vietnam vet who tries to school his already adolescent son on the birds and the bees, about being a man and as he says, “Any fool can make a baby, but it takes a man to be a father”. A positive image of a black man, even though Laurence’s character couldn’t always be there for his son having being divorced from the boy’s mother) and Menace II Society (it’s been long, I can’t remember) and the less celebrated Baby Boy (which brought out Tyrese as an actor) and the college themed Higher Learning. All these movies, except Menace II Society were directed by John Singleton, who went on to direct Shaft and 2 Fast, 2 Furious. Menace II Society was directed by the Hughes Brother, who broke from the “black circle” to direct Johnny Depp in From Hell and the recent more-appropriately-need-to-be-protested-by-the-Vatican The Book of Eli.
Of the four mentioned black movies, Higher Learning to me was the most balanced in race portrayal and not because half the cast was white, although that did play a factor to the story’s theme, but rather because it showed both sides (the Nazi-led white group and the pro-black panther like group), specifically with their leaders had the same train of thought: the education of their people, even if for racial purposes. The “leaders” respectively played by the underrated Cole Hauser and Ice Cube couldn’t stand the fact that their people were in their view somewhat regressing. Cole Hauser’s all white Nazi character felt non-white people were taking away jobs meant for white people, while Ice Cube’s character felt black people weren’t given enough jobs. Both characters were more or less the same people with different skin colour and slightly varying motives.
The real difference between them (and this might interest black people) was that, whereas Ice Cube’s character didn’t mind his people mixing with other races (his character does stand up for the Indians), Cole Hauser’s character had a hard time seeing his people mix with “blacks, protestants and Jews” if I remember. I don’t remember the ending, but both men had some level of respect (and hatred) for each other. One of the most interesting characters in the movie was a white Fresh man played by Michael Rappaport who is torn between his love for rap music and black culture and that of his “whiteness”. He eventually becomes one of Cole Hauser’s easiest victims to manipulate as he is made to feel he owes some sort of allegiance to his being white and higher than others. He eventually becomes one of the most confused characters along the way. His story sounds familiar in race and/or religion.
But back to Avatar, my only concern now is that James Cameron not attempt making a sequel as some fans have been asking. Why ruin what is already the best 3D movie so far? Then again this is a director whose about to break his previous achievement something called, Titanic. I never heard of it!!!
Yes, the story of Avatar is recycled so to say and like in Pochantas (which I never bothered to watch till the end, because I never believed Disney could top The Lion King) and Dances with Wolves (which I’ve never seen, but know it stars Kevin Costner who sides with an Indian tribe he’s been sent to kill) the hero belongs to an imperialistic people. In the case of Avatar, the imperialists are us… humans. If black critics or white ones even are complaining about the movie’s saviour being white, I don’t remember white people complaining about the numerous times Will Smith has saved the world (Independence Day, Men In Black, I Am Legend, e.t.c). And no, I don’t think white people see Will Smith as one of them in terms of skin colour or as a non-threatening black. Let’s remember Ice Cube of the one-time gangster rap group N.W.A saved the president and the United States in Triple X: State of the Union and he’s had a “threatening” image over the years rapping about “F—k the Police” and white/black equality, which can be considered threatening to the status quo in America. Although, Ice Cube has softened that image with his family movies… people have to grow up sometimes.
The only complaint about Independence Day was from some Arab critics who weren’t happy that Jeff Goldblum’s character (who helped saved the world) was Jewish in what they claim was Jews restating their “chosen people” status. But that’s not what I’m debating here and that was a long time ago. No one complained when Marlon Wayans’ character in the God awful G.I Joe saved the White House and its white president. I mean I was happy to say a black man who wasn’t Will Smith or Denzel Washington saving the world, even if he was part of a team. Usually it’s the aforementioned two who get to the saving. Admittedly, none of these black actors saved an indigenous people. No, they saved the whole world.
Back to Avatar which also caught heat from the Vatican, for what it described as the worship of nature being a replacement for the worship of God as the underlying message of the movie. Really? I didn’t see that too. Now I don’t know James Cameron’s religious affiliation or if he has any, but last I checked he or any other Hollywood director were not answerable to the Vatican, but to studio executives who want the money they spent back and more. Now I’m treading carefully here, before I get labeled “anti-Christian”, plus my birth name doesn’t help matters, but Avatar didn’t seem to make a mockery of any religion. Yes, the Na’vis worshipped their surrounding, but so did/do the Native Americans. Also there’s no denying the environment is a big issue today. Yes, it’s perhaps the movie’s most obvious underlying message, but no where is there an indication of it as a new substitute for those who already belong to an established religion. The movie raised some issues about our actions as humans towards the environment, which I believe we should respect (I did not say worship).
If there’s any movie I think the Vatican should be targeting, it’s “The Book of Eli” starring Denzel Washington (is anyone complaining about him saving the world now?), where the hero is carrying the last Bible in the world and that doesn’t sound right!
Back to the issue of racial undertones, there’s no denying Hollywood has made movies with such themes. I remember Chris Rock being interviewed on Larry King. He explained why early on in his career he turned down roles offered to him, because it involved him playing some misguided black man, who some white character would come save and he got offered the same type of role consecutively and that was what prompted him to start writing his own scripts. Nick Cannon had a similar complain claiming Hollywood didn’t make enough roles for black people. He too followed in Rock’s footsteps… less successfully. Anyone watch The Underclass man? My point exactly!
Anyone, especially Black complaining that black actors don’t get to shine in Hollywood like their white counterparts should perhaps settle for TV’s The Wire (yes I know, it’s not Hollywood), where 70% of the cast is black and their characters are, wouldn’t you believe it, intelligent too! The show with that many black people must have a black creator right? Wrong! The creator of The Wire is a Jewish white man named David Simon, who I respect for showing real life on TV if you don’t mind some occasional SVLN. I wonder if critics (black or white) would criticize him, claiming he has a “savior complex” for hiring more black people than most TV shows have or for creating some of the most intelligent characters you’ll ever see. Yes, it’s that good! It’s the best thing you’ll ever see… well I think!
Let’s look at the reverse of The Wire with Grey’s Anatomy, where the show’s creator is black and the cast seems to be getting whiter and whiter with every season (not that I or anyone is complaining, though my interest in the show has waned due to recent storylines. Yes, I watch, I’m not ashamed). No one is calling the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes a sell-out (according to her she didn’t write the characters with colour in mind) nor is she being called “the savior of white actors with no job”. But then again TV isn’t Hollywood, yet race is still an ever-present issue. The same network that produced The Wire, HBO also produced the more popular The Sorpranos, a show about a mostly racial Italian mob family. The biggest criticism of the show came from Italian Americas who felt they were portrayed as racist. Black people on other hand loved it, despite knowing the characters were written to look down on people who weren’t white or Catholic.
I agree Hollywood has made some of the most negative portrayal of a people (especially blacks, but black people have contributed as much, ahem, Flavor Flav!) like they seem to do the Arabs of recent (those of you who watch 24 know what I mean). Next it might be Nigerians specifically, even though they’ve already picked on Africans as a whole. As I recall Nigeria was one of the places the villain (Jake Sully’s marine boss) in Avatar served in clearly after some disaster happened (Abdulmuttalib aftermath maybe?).
I’ve been meaning to write about black portrayal in Hollywood for some time now. This whole issue of Avatar having “racial undertone” just brought it back up, but my interest really came when black critics took shot at Daniel Lee’s Precious, which is also making rounds this award season. Critics claimed that all the good black people in the movie were light-skinned (Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton) and that all the bad black people were dark skinned and in the antagonist’s case, overweight (Mo’nique. Although I always thought comedian Monique was fair and Lenny Kravitz, whose real-life father was white was much darker, but that’s by the way.) I hear this light skin/ dark skin has/is being made an issue in the United States among black people and whites as well. I wouldn’t know, plus I haven’t seen the movie. I have however seen District 9, it of Akunyili fame and my only complain about the Nigerian portrayal was they spoke a South African dialect and were suspiciously all dark-skinned and you know we’re not all dark-skinned. If anyone should’ve complained about District 9, it should’ve been the light-skinned people of Nigeria, for not being represented. As far as Nigerians mainly being villains, all you have to do is pick up a newspaper for proof of that. I just the hope the minister doesn’t read this!!!
Another criticism of Precious was that the title character, who is overweight would imagine herself as a skinny white/fair girl. Yes, they’ve been all-round general criticism of the “skinny white girl”, even from fat white girls. The criticism of Precious had me thinking of other black movies and portrayals like the hood classics Boys N The Hood (which I absolutely love, even if for Laurence Fishburne’s minor role as a Vietnam vet who tries to school his already adolescent son on the birds and the bees, about being a man and as he says, “Any fool can make a baby, but it takes a man to be a father”. A positive image of a black man, even though Laurence’s character couldn’t always be there for his son having being divorced from the boy’s mother) and Menace II Society (it’s been long, I can’t remember) and the less celebrated Baby Boy (which brought out Tyrese as an actor) and the college themed Higher Learning. All these movies, except Menace II Society were directed by John Singleton, who went on to direct Shaft and 2 Fast, 2 Furious. Menace II Society was directed by the Hughes Brother, who broke from the “black circle” to direct Johnny Depp in From Hell and the recent more-appropriately-need-to-be-protested-by-the-Vatican The Book of Eli.
Of the four mentioned black movies, Higher Learning to me was the most balanced in race portrayal and not because half the cast was white, although that did play a factor to the story’s theme, but rather because it showed both sides (the Nazi-led white group and the pro-black panther like group), specifically with their leaders had the same train of thought: the education of their people, even if for racial purposes. The “leaders” respectively played by the underrated Cole Hauser and Ice Cube couldn’t stand the fact that their people were in their view somewhat regressing. Cole Hauser’s all white Nazi character felt non-white people were taking away jobs meant for white people, while Ice Cube’s character felt black people weren’t given enough jobs. Both characters were more or less the same people with different skin colour and slightly varying motives.
The real difference between them (and this might interest black people) was that, whereas Ice Cube’s character didn’t mind his people mixing with other races (his character does stand up for the Indians), Cole Hauser’s character had a hard time seeing his people mix with “blacks, protestants and Jews” if I remember. I don’t remember the ending, but both men had some level of respect (and hatred) for each other. One of the most interesting characters in the movie was a white Fresh man played by Michael Rappaport who is torn between his love for rap music and black culture and that of his “whiteness”. He eventually becomes one of Cole Hauser’s easiest victims to manipulate as he is made to feel he owes some sort of allegiance to his being white and higher than others. He eventually becomes one of the most confused characters along the way. His story sounds familiar in race and/or religion.
But back to Avatar, my only concern now is that James Cameron not attempt making a sequel as some fans have been asking. Why ruin what is already the best 3D movie so far? Then again this is a director whose about to break his previous achievement something called, Titanic. I never heard of it!!!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
AISHA UMAR YUSUF AND HER SOAP OPERA CONSPIRACY THEORIES
I enjoy a good conspiracy theory. Notice the word, “good”, something that has at least some concrete evidence that can’t be disputed even if the rest of the story is questionable. Aisha’s latest rounds of theories sound like something out of a Hollywood movie yet to be made, where the script is still being tweaked to make sure it’s a success. Now I will admit I have enjoyed her previous theories surrounding the events of 9/11, as much of them had been previously stated by other sources; Aisha was just restating. But her latest theories surrounding the recent botched Christmas bombing seem to have no other sources, but hers. First she claimed she believed our dear brother (he is Nigerian after all) Umar Farouk was drugged, which I think is a bit farfetched. Why would an alleged (for the sake of argument, we’ll use the word “alleged”) suicide bomber drug himself? I’ve heard of people taking alcohol or drugs before committing a crime, but not one where the primary crime involves killing themselves, especially if they think they’re on their way to heaven. It will seem nobler to die of martyrdom with one’s senses intact.
Second of all, if indeed Farouk was drugged, how do we explain his erratic behaviour before the bombing, like cutting ties with his family? Did someone drug him to do that all in the name of learning Arabic and whatnot in Yemen? I don’t know of people getting high to read about religion. Aisha’s second claim was that the Dutch director was part of the frame up and went as far as saying the man was never shown on TV. Actually, my dear Aisha, he was… on CNN. Or is CNN part of the cover-up now? I never saw the director on any other network, but I’m sure his 15 minutes didn’t warrant for more exposure time. It’s not like he landed a failing airplane in the Hudson. Aisha went further to compare the director’s underexposure to Gulliani’s overexposure after the 9/11 crisis and how the mayor was named Time’s man of the year. Gulliani was only named man of the year, because the magazine couldn’t afford to name Osama Bin Laden (the original decided winner) as its man of the year, risking a loss in readership after complaints of the numerous image of the “perpetrator”. So they went for a less controversial individual, yet one still tied to the events of 9/11. Time has a dubious way of picking its annual man of the year, like two years ago, when they gave it to You! PLEASE! They should’ve given it to YouTube, though not a person, it’s still You in a way, but that’s not what we’re discussing here.
The only thing that Aisha wrote in her soap opera conspiracy that seems to hold any water is the fact that the Farouk’s underwear caught fire, yet there was no mention of flesh wounds on his skin and how he managed to walk into court with no sign of pain or recovery. Granted, she raised an important issue there. Now to be fair to Aisha, I’m not saying imperialistic powers like the U.S have never pulled off such elaborate hoax in the hopes of achieving something else, but let’s have some substantial proof. Unless Aisha was on the flight to Detriot, she should keep her theories to a minimum. I’m surprised Media Trust allowed her articles to be published, especially when it’s not under a column, which would make it clear to the reader it’s her opinion. But when it’s published not under a column titled, ‘Conspiracy theories” and just as a newspaper article, it brings to question the meaning of “researched journalism”. I understand the need to jump to conclusion, especially when living in a conspiracy prone world, but the best conspiracies are based on some form of facts. As far as the Christmas bombing, there is none except what we’re being told… for now.
P.S In the case that Aisha is indeed right, she should feel free to say, “I told you so!” I shan’t complain! But I leave you with a conspiracy theory of mine and I’ll let readers decide which has more credibility, mine or Aisha’s. How come the U.S is so hands-on on helping Haiti, even sending firemen from their various states, yet they couldn’t produce the same response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? I doubt it has anything to do with a different leadership. Are they planning to send in their “economic hit-men”, when the dust settles? You know the people who make business ties for the United States so they keep making money. For example, they hire an American company to rebuild certain parts of Haiti thus gaining an economic advantage over other companies, locally and otherwise.
And here’s an extra one for you: Why do people in the United States who live in hurricane prone areas always seem to build their houses with wood? Haven’t they heard of concrete or bricks? Or is someone making money off wood? That or it must be extremely cheap! Either way someone is making money!
Second of all, if indeed Farouk was drugged, how do we explain his erratic behaviour before the bombing, like cutting ties with his family? Did someone drug him to do that all in the name of learning Arabic and whatnot in Yemen? I don’t know of people getting high to read about religion. Aisha’s second claim was that the Dutch director was part of the frame up and went as far as saying the man was never shown on TV. Actually, my dear Aisha, he was… on CNN. Or is CNN part of the cover-up now? I never saw the director on any other network, but I’m sure his 15 minutes didn’t warrant for more exposure time. It’s not like he landed a failing airplane in the Hudson. Aisha went further to compare the director’s underexposure to Gulliani’s overexposure after the 9/11 crisis and how the mayor was named Time’s man of the year. Gulliani was only named man of the year, because the magazine couldn’t afford to name Osama Bin Laden (the original decided winner) as its man of the year, risking a loss in readership after complaints of the numerous image of the “perpetrator”. So they went for a less controversial individual, yet one still tied to the events of 9/11. Time has a dubious way of picking its annual man of the year, like two years ago, when they gave it to You! PLEASE! They should’ve given it to YouTube, though not a person, it’s still You in a way, but that’s not what we’re discussing here.
The only thing that Aisha wrote in her soap opera conspiracy that seems to hold any water is the fact that the Farouk’s underwear caught fire, yet there was no mention of flesh wounds on his skin and how he managed to walk into court with no sign of pain or recovery. Granted, she raised an important issue there. Now to be fair to Aisha, I’m not saying imperialistic powers like the U.S have never pulled off such elaborate hoax in the hopes of achieving something else, but let’s have some substantial proof. Unless Aisha was on the flight to Detriot, she should keep her theories to a minimum. I’m surprised Media Trust allowed her articles to be published, especially when it’s not under a column, which would make it clear to the reader it’s her opinion. But when it’s published not under a column titled, ‘Conspiracy theories” and just as a newspaper article, it brings to question the meaning of “researched journalism”. I understand the need to jump to conclusion, especially when living in a conspiracy prone world, but the best conspiracies are based on some form of facts. As far as the Christmas bombing, there is none except what we’re being told… for now.
P.S In the case that Aisha is indeed right, she should feel free to say, “I told you so!” I shan’t complain! But I leave you with a conspiracy theory of mine and I’ll let readers decide which has more credibility, mine or Aisha’s. How come the U.S is so hands-on on helping Haiti, even sending firemen from their various states, yet they couldn’t produce the same response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? I doubt it has anything to do with a different leadership. Are they planning to send in their “economic hit-men”, when the dust settles? You know the people who make business ties for the United States so they keep making money. For example, they hire an American company to rebuild certain parts of Haiti thus gaining an economic advantage over other companies, locally and otherwise.
And here’s an extra one for you: Why do people in the United States who live in hurricane prone areas always seem to build their houses with wood? Haven’t they heard of concrete or bricks? Or is someone making money off wood? That or it must be extremely cheap! Either way someone is making money!
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