Papers by james A alabi
The renewed clamour for restructuring of Nigeria after more than 50 years of gaining a politicall... more The renewed clamour for restructuring of Nigeria after more than 50 years of gaining a politically independent nationhood is magnetizing some interests, gaining some attention and attracting some sympathy from some quarters. Even though this call is currently predominantly being fronted by those who still would need the people to help them actualize their political desire in one form or the other, either now or in subsequent political contests, this does not render the plea premature, unimpressive or immaterial.
Hitherto, much of the effort of the current government under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari s... more Hitherto, much of the effort of the current government under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari since assumption into office has more than anything else been largely concentrated on three major undertakings: cleansing the Augean stables through restructuring of ministries, departments and agencies, recovering looted funds through anti-corruption fight, and, thirdly, engaging in foreign trips. Interestingly, each of these three projects has been characterized by barrels of intrigues, shenanigans, drama, and diatribes. There are still a number of promises which the All Progressives Congress had made to Nigerians and the fulfillment of which we earnestly look forward, most significant among which is the long overdue and much desired shift from a monolithic economy; that is the need for an economic diversification. Admittedly, all of these projects do have a place in the process of democratic building and in regaining people's trust and confidence— especially in a nation like ours that has for far too long been plunged into an inexplicable degree of abject poverty, judicial malfeasance, economic profligacy and leadership mistrust— insofar they are carried out with sincere readiness to retrace the steps of the nation towards a rebirth and true nationhood. However, the non-inclusion of the phrase 'and prosecution of alleged public treasury looters' in the final part of the second in the three listed project is deliberate. The intention is to explain two things. On the one hand, to caution the government and its anti-graft agencies again against two things, namely, an eventual validation of the perception and allegation from a section of the polity that the fight is jaundiced; that its investigations are shoddy; and finally that its conviction processes are sometimes extra legem. Two, to draw the administration's attention to the fact that in no distant time, Nigerians' dogged and renewed interest in the anti-corruption fight may naturally completely wane if it does not begin to yield expected result, especially by making deterrents from the already prosecuted cases. On the other hand, the intention is to indict the administration that contrary to public expectation it is already singing a song of surrender, a self-admission that the fight may not go on for too long and therefore could die a natural death because of the alleged overbearing power of certain institutionalized persons and interests whose ox must and cannot be gored. Ultimately, of the three, the first two projects receive quite a number of approvals, while the third, which the presidency and indeed the All Progressives Congress have vigorously justified, is, to many Nigerians, an orgy of self-expedition by the president. While the first is said to have, among other achievements, helped in plugging leakages in public offices,
What my knowledge and perspective of Nigeria was while growing up and the understanding I am gett... more What my knowledge and perspective of Nigeria was while growing up and the understanding I am getting after the country was ushered back into democracy after many years of military infringements appear to have no significant disparity. I become very more strongly convinced that there is some feature regrettably missing within the polity. This feature is national identity. I doubt very strongly if Nigerians possess national identity yet. If there is any professed one anywhere, then it must have been make-believe or perhaps something of a function of self-delusion, misapprehension and misinterpretation of concept. I make this obvious clarification both as a deliberate indictment of the political class, a justification for the argument against the self-colonizing culture of the post-independence Nigeria and to prescribe a therapy for a sense of a new Nigeria, especially as the country begins a new democratic journey. This is so because there is a wide gap between Nigeria identity and National identity as much as there is a wall of difference between a national and a patriot. What we currently identify with in the form of the national anthem, national pledge, national flag, national passport, system of government, and others, can only pass for Nigeria identity. Similarly, the concept of patriotism as it concerns Nigeria can only be applicable within the context of ethnic overtone and/ or tribal allegiance. Since the beginning of Nigeria existence, each ethnic groups has had only to identify with their cultural identities without a deep sense of association with the nation Nigeria. The reason for this objectionable custom and rebellious attitude against Nigeria cannot be far-fetched. My previous articles and opinion on ethnic suspicion and the ignoble nostalgia of the acclaimed 'fraudulent amalgamation' have explained these. However, there is another perspective to the entire gamut of this somewhat justifiable obnoxious insolence of refusing to identify with Nigeria. Essentially, national identity consists in mental awareness that there is a unifying system, a system that integrates various peoples and ethnic nationalities into one, and, realizing that without that system, I lack what is called an identity. National identity consists also in the capacity to be proud of the stuff of which my country is made. In other words, there should be an acceptance that I do not exist for myself but also for the nation from whose richly endowed resources I derive my living. President Obama one said: " For me, patriotism is always more than just loyalty to a place on a map or a certain kind of people. Instead, it is also loyalty to America's ideals – ideals for which anyone can sacrifice, or defend, or give their last full measure of devotion. " This is clearly indicative and suggestive of a fact that America has a collective vision, set of ideals, principles and values for which
Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to ... more Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fall, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. The above was one of the most profoundly effective verbal therapies that healed Europe and indeed the entire world from the devastating disease of Adolf Hitler's totalitarianism of the early 20 th century German government. The necessity, appropriateness and promptness of this Winston Churchill's caveat at that time cannot be overemphasized. In fact, more than the totality of the power of arms and ammunition, much of the panacea that arrested Hitler's sinister mission and collapsed the Second World War (WWII) were the spoken and courageous words of leaders at that period. There was general realization that Hitlerism and Nazism intended no good for the world and thus must be brought to its knees. The response to this call by leaders was apt, prompt, fast and collective. Thus, the spirit of a collective battle against a peace-threatening ideology was awakened in the entire Europe, Asia and the Americas. Governance in Nigeria since independence has been going through some similar regime of Hitlerism, a regime of economic and material profligacy, political totalitarianism, mental colonization, and collective historical amnesia, led by leaders, who, on the one hand, regard the people as mere audience whose duty is just to applaud the political actors or verbally condemn their stage error; on the other hand, the leaders perceive the people as mere ladder upon which the former trample towards the realization of their ambitions, ambitions characterized by moral ineptitude, hardship-inflicting policies, poverty-stricken citizenry, and a paternalistic-infant relationship. However, at some point in the past on this national voyage, some leaders have distinguished themselves in terms of character and integrity while most have failed the collective desire of the people. The immediate lesson-consequence that greet the actions and inactions of these leaders is an evolution of a 'new polity' composed by citizens who could stand and question the unproductive and ailing status quo. Thanks to a return to democracy. There is a common awareness among the so-called
Conference Presentations by james A alabi
The 2015 Globacom CAF Footballer of the Year Award event may have come and gone with all its glam... more The 2015 Globacom CAF Footballer of the Year Award event may have come and gone with all its glamour, pomp and pageantry, but its fallout expressed in terms of suspicions, criticisms, recommendations and lessons remain lasting and classic in the hearts of football fans and enthusiasts, sports lovers and die hard pan-Africans and Africanists, like me. Philosophically, nature constitutes conflict of opposites, in which case some view certain decisions and processes as lopsided and avoidably wrong; others would perceive those decisions and processes as right and appropriate. But, there is a wall of difference which separates objectivity from subjectivity, namely, that the objectivist possesses the bold capacity to bracket his predilections and present dispassionate yardstick to evaluate events. The subjectivist, on the other hand, with often emotive standpoint, deploys ego to evaluate issues, processes and events. In any event, the truth always prevails and the judgment of reason takes control and receives popular approbation over the judgment of emotion. Interestingly, part of what largely makes a man is his capacity to judge between truth and opinion, between reason and emotion, and between altruism and personal vendetta. Prima facie, it could be understood as naïve and jaundiced toning down the unpromising mien and reactionary remarks of Yaya Touré, the first runners-up of the 2015 CAF footballer of the year and skipper of the Ivory Coast team that quashed the premature judgment of the hasty soothsayers, impatient analysts and unapologetic pessimists to win the 2015 African Nations Cup for the Ivorians. The effort of the team, through the outstanding input of the four-time winner of the CAF-organized Africa-awarded football laurel, correspondingly raised the bar of the West African country to end the 2015 FIFA ranking as first and best in Africa and 19 th in the world with Gabon coming 19 th in Africa and in faraway 77 th position in the world. Thus, the loss of the much coveted award by the 'giant and indomitable' Ivorian to a mere 23 year-old football 'minor and minnow' from a lowly FIFA-placed Gabon was to the frank Yaya, unjustifiable and a mismatch and disappointment which warranted Africa nothing but such a degrading continental insult. For posterity and reference, Yaya was quoted to have said, among other things: " I think this is what brings shame to Africa, because to act in that way is indecent…Yaya will take care of himself and let Africa take care of itself. As I have been told many times, you can't take care of Africa too much because Africa will be the first to let you
Drafts by james A alabi
The clique of phrases announcing the touchy dispatches of the first three lines of Soyinka's spra... more The clique of phrases announcing the touchy dispatches of the first three lines of Soyinka's sprawling, arresting and delightful memoir— as assortedly described by Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post —You Must Set Forth at Dawn, summarizes the gory experience of a man whose life was not only threatened to death but also as one who had his social existence denied, and his soul exiled by a wicked government from a land into which it was born. All for the sake of fighting a cause for and of humanity. Ditto, the sober description by then British prime minister John Major as 'judicial murder' of the inglorious execution and hanging of another credible human rights activist Ken Saro Wiwa (and eight others) again painted a picture of the degree of injustice and callousness of the government of Nigeria to the people for whom it was established to serve. All these are expressions not only of the wicked acts of a supposedly protective government but also and more importantly of the vibrancy and courageousness of true activism aimed at challenging economic profligacy, political oppression and social marginalization of the people by 'their own governments.' These activists, in defiance of their clear-cut disparate concrete strategies, have common theoretical frameworks and features that largely distinguished them, namely, objectivity of criticism, sincerity and clarity of purpose, credibility and consistency of ideas, and above all integrity, both personal and corporate. Either in or outside government, they constantly engaged governments, asked questions about its certain policies and comparatively tried these on the scale of history to test their plausibility and workability. To them, bringing about a just society was more expedient and fundamental than unnecessarily arousing the emotions of the populace and estranging the people from the government. They adopted the method of giving a periodic analysis of government policies, programmes, decisions and actions, assessing their impact on the people, and sensitizing the people whether to reject or embrace such government directives. At every point in time, the focal point of their struggle, which was the people, was never compromised. Hence, they tended to listen more to the people, dissect issues as they would benefit the people to which their agenda was inclined. Between the choices of seeking power and economic empowerment for personal gain and fighting the cause of the people, the human rights activists chose the latter, not because their life, welfare and political power did not matter but because they realized that history, defined in the way of George Herbert Walker Bush, 'is a book of many pages, each of which must be filled with acts of hopefulness and meaning' for humanity. The unsolicited military interventions that spanned a period not less than three decades, offered the humanity in Nigerians ample opportunities to stand vehemently for a cause in which it believed. The days of military, though replete with conflicts and unavoidable political unrests, were
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Papers by james A alabi
Conference Presentations by james A alabi
Drafts by james A alabi