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Saturday, December 31, 2011
USA Africa Dialogue Series - Independence for Haiti!
http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/independence-haiti
Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Economist: The disposable academic Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time
Toyin,
I am happy to have a conversation with you, as long as you do not parse my words and strip them of context. I am baffled; read my post, I never said that Nigeria has no resources. Read the sentence to the end. I said they are being systematically looted by intellectuals and politicians. I also said that when you compute what is being stolen, the cost/per student might rival that of what obtains in the West. Is that how you would describe a resource-poor nation?
And why would I need to convince you that our Nigerian education is in a dysmal state? Do you not read? Did you not read of the Minister for Education lamenting that as much as 70 percent of students failed a certain qualifying exam? Those who disparage and ruin our educational system everyday you know and I am not going to play that game with you.
On the matter of Biafra you are on your own. I am not that much older than you, so if Biafra means little to you, I should not waste my time with you. To divorce Biafra from the civil war of our country for someone your age is to be honest, disingenous. I only engage in honest conversations; and it is clear to me that from your conduct here and elsewhere that you are not interested in one. You have called me and certain others Biafra fanatics. I remain appalled by your conduct in that one forum and my estimation of you will always be measured by that, I am sorry. The passing of Dim Ojukwu was for me and many an opportunity to reflect on an era. You would not listen; it was not just about an individual alone. It was about us. That you did not, would not see that, I thought was interesting.
I still do admire you and wish you and yours all the best in the new year. This is my last word to you on these subjects. I only ask you to refrain from distorting my words. I am very careful with my words. Even when I am joking, I am serious.
- Ikhide
Ikhide,
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I am happy to have a conversation with you, as long as you do not parse my words and strip them of context. I am baffled; read my post, I never said that Nigeria has no resources. Read the sentence to the end. I said they are being systematically looted by intellectuals and politicians. I also said that when you compute what is being stolen, the cost/per student might rival that of what obtains in the West. Is that how you would describe a resource-poor nation?
And why would I need to convince you that our Nigerian education is in a dysmal state? Do you not read? Did you not read of the Minister for Education lamenting that as much as 70 percent of students failed a certain qualifying exam? Those who disparage and ruin our educational system everyday you know and I am not going to play that game with you.
On the matter of Biafra you are on your own. I am not that much older than you, so if Biafra means little to you, I should not waste my time with you. To divorce Biafra from the civil war of our country for someone your age is to be honest, disingenous. I only engage in honest conversations; and it is clear to me that from your conduct here and elsewhere that you are not interested in one. You have called me and certain others Biafra fanatics. I remain appalled by your conduct in that one forum and my estimation of you will always be measured by that, I am sorry. The passing of Dim Ojukwu was for me and many an opportunity to reflect on an era. You would not listen; it was not just about an individual alone. It was about us. That you did not, would not see that, I thought was interesting.
I still do admire you and wish you and yours all the best in the new year. This is my last word to you on these subjects. I only ask you to refrain from distorting my words. I am very careful with my words. Even when I am joking, I am serious.
- Ikhide
From: toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com>
Sender: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2012 00:58:31 +0000
To: <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
ReplyTo: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Economist: The disposable academic Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time
on the issue of no resources in nigeria i think that is not correct.
the experience of people i know there and my personal experience convince me there are resources for those who are ready to mine them.
my exposure on this is limited, being based purely on personal experience and general observation but i have faith in that nation based on my experiences and observations,both pleasant and painful.
the real hunger might be for leadership. leadership to harness resources.
i am keen on knowing what you mean by resources and why you think they are not there.
i am puzzled about this-
' our intellectuals are collaborating with the politicians to ruin other people's children.' 'The resources are simply not there; much of it looted openly by thieving intellectuals...'
who are these intellectuals? are you referring to ASUU members? if so, in why can they be described as looters and collaborators with politicians?
I am yet to respond fully to you on your sweeping disparagement of Nigerian education beceause I am still editing my response.
meanwhile, can you also do the following, please?
explain why you think Nigerian education as a whole is in such a dismal state.
how did you arrive at this conclusion and from what time did this dismal development set in, in your opinion?
on the Biafra issue, can you please explain why you think a detailed knowledge of biafra and ojukwu are relevant as a trouchstone for nigerian education?
what you wrote earlier was not about the civil war as a whole. your focus was on biafra and odumegwu ojukwu which you said this chap knew little about.
if biafra is seen as being about more than secession , it would be useful to explain why you think it was more than that.
thanks
toyin
-- On 31 December 2011 20:25, Ikhide <xokigbo@yahoo.com> wrote:
Toyin,The idea that PhDs invest in self employment is a good one, I imagine. Nigeria could use any and everything, any and everyone, there is so much hunger in that land for resources. I was there in September and I can attest to how much there is to do in Nigeria. The resources are simply not there; much of it looted openly by thieving intellectuals and politicians. You and I know that there is nothing new that I am going to say in terms of ideas that folks on this forum and elsewhere have not said in the past. Why just recently, Etannibi Alemika wrote a thoughtful piece on the same issue. If people are not responding it is not that they don't care, they are tired of saying the same thing over and over again with nothing happening.
We need to stop talking and start shaming people into being accountable. I seriously doubt that there is any Nigerian intellectual on this forum that will not privately say, what is happening to our children and youth in our classrooms is disgraceful. There are many Nigerian PhDs abroad toiling at jobs beneath the expense and trouble of their earned degrees. We could use them back home. I love your idea, but Toyin, our people do not care. They do not care that generations of children are being abused in classrooms - because their own kids are safe elsewhere. These thugs are of my generation, those of us who were educated at great cost by the military. You know me, I am not going to make patronizing noises about the situation. That would be dishonest, I will say what I am seeing, which is that our intellectuals are collaborating with the politicians to ruin other people's children.And of course this is not just my passion, this is my life and my career. I have been in K-14 education all my professional life - three decades with all but three of those served here in the US and being part of a leadership team running the 16th largest public K-12 school system in the US and the best of course, if I may say so ;-) So it pains me because I care and because I know what I am talking about. You can talk all you want, our people do not listen. You may think I exaggerate when I say this, but if you calculate per student how much is being stolen daily, the figure would rival the cost/pupil of educating a child anywhere in the West. And yet our primary schools look like where lizards are being abused. Under those circumstances I should be forgiven for sneering at anyone calling that situation an education. It is criminal and we should all be ashamed of the situation.And by the way, I do not understand how you can tolerate a situation where a 35-year old Nigerian educated up to the tertiary level knows little or nothing about Biafra and the Nigerian civil war. And the notion that Biafra was all about mere secession just seems to me a simplistic reading of the Nigerian situation. But it is your opinion, not mine. Be well,- Ikhide
From: toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 12:54 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Economist: The disposable academic Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time
Ikhide,It would be interesting to read from you your views on the significance of PhDs to the Nigerian academic system, since that system attracts a significant degree of your passion.
The essay in the Economist is interesting and sums up longstanding issues in the PhD universe of parts of Europe and North America.One approach that PhDs could use is the idea of building a base for self employment during their PhDs which they can use after the degree is completed.thankstoyin--On 31 December 2011 16:49, Ikhide <xokigbo@yahoo.com> wrote:
--"Whining PhD students are nothing new, but there seem to be genuine problems with the system that produces research doctorates (the practical "professional doctorates" in fields such as law, business and medicine have a more obvious value). There is an oversupply of PhDs. Although a doctorate is designed as training for a job in academia, the number of PhD positions is unrelated to the number of job openings. Meanwhile, business leaders complain about shortages of high-level skills, suggesting PhDs are not teaching the right things. The fiercest critics compare research doctorates to Ponzi or pyramid schemes."I disagree with the Economist. I do believe that beleaguered nations like Nigeria could use all the PhDs it can train and productively use. America is a different ball game. Depending on what your life's passions are, a PhD may be a thorough waste of time in America; I wouldn't recommend it. But it is a thought-provoking read. Read on.- Ikhide- Ikhide
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Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Economist: The disposable academic Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time
Ikhide,
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
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on the issue of no resources in nigeria i think that is not correct.
the experience of people i know there and my personal experience convince me there are resources for those who are ready to mine them.
my exposure on this is limited, being based purely on personal experience and general observation but i have faith in that nation based on my experiences and observations,both pleasant and painful.
the real hunger might be for leadership. leadership to harness resources.
i am keen on knowing what you mean by resources and why you think they are not there.
i am puzzled about this-
' our intellectuals are collaborating with the politicians to ruin other people's children.' 'The resources are simply not there; much of it looted openly by thieving intellectuals...'
who are these intellectuals? are you referring to ASUU members? if so, in why can they be described as looters and collaborators with politicians?
I am yet to respond fully to you on your sweeping disparagement of Nigerian education beceause I am still editing my response.
meanwhile, can you also do the following, please?
explain why you think Nigerian education as a whole is in such a dismal state.
how did you arrive at this conclusion and from what time did this dismal development set in, in your opinion?
on the Biafra issue, can you please explain why you think a detailed knowledge of biafra and ojukwu are relevant as a trouchstone for nigerian education?
what you wrote earlier was not about the civil war as a whole. your focus was on biafra and odumegwu ojukwu which you said this chap knew little about.
if biafra is seen as being about more than secession , it would be useful to explain why you think it was more than that.
thanks
toyin
-- On 31 December 2011 20:25, Ikhide <xokigbo@yahoo.com> wrote:
Toyin,The idea that PhDs invest in self employment is a good one, I imagine. Nigeria could use any and everything, any and everyone, there is so much hunger in that land for resources. I was there in September and I can attest to how much there is to do in Nigeria. The resources are simply not there; much of it looted openly by thieving intellectuals and politicians. You and I know that there is nothing new that I am going to say in terms of ideas that folks on this forum and elsewhere have not said in the past. Why just recently, Etannibi Alemika wrote a thoughtful piece on the same issue. If people are not responding it is not that they don't care, they are tired of saying the same thing over and over again with nothing happening.
We need to stop talking and start shaming people into being accountable. I seriously doubt that there is any Nigerian intellectual on this forum that will not privately say, what is happening to our children and youth in our classrooms is disgraceful. There are many Nigerian PhDs abroad toiling at jobs beneath the expense and trouble of their earned degrees. We could use them back home. I love your idea, but Toyin, our people do not care. They do not care that generations of children are being abused in classrooms - because their own kids are safe elsewhere. These thugs are of my generation, those of us who were educated at great cost by the military. You know me, I am not going to make patronizing noises about the situation. That would be dishonest, I will say what I am seeing, which is that our intellectuals are collaborating with the politicians to ruin other people's children.And of course this is not just my passion, this is my life and my career. I have been in K-14 education all my professional life - three decades with all but three of those served here in the US and being part of a leadership team running the 16th largest public K-12 school system in the US and the best of course, if I may say so ;-) So it pains me because I care and because I know what I am talking about. You can talk all you want, our people do not listen. You may think I exaggerate when I say this, but if you calculate per student how much is being stolen daily, the figure would rival the cost/pupil of educating a child anywhere in the West. And yet our primary schools look like where lizards are being abused. Under those circumstances I should be forgiven for sneering at anyone calling that situation an education. It is criminal and we should all be ashamed of the situation.And by the way, I do not understand how you can tolerate a situation where a 35-year old Nigerian educated up to the tertiary level knows little or nothing about Biafra and the Nigerian civil war. And the notion that Biafra was all about mere secession just seems to me a simplistic reading of the Nigerian situation. But it is your opinion, not mine. Be well,- Ikhide
From: toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 12:54 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Economist: The disposable academic Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time
Ikhide,It would be interesting to read from you your views on the significance of PhDs to the Nigerian academic system, since that system attracts a significant degree of your passion.
The essay in the Economist is interesting and sums up longstanding issues in the PhD universe of parts of Europe and North America.One approach that PhDs could use is the idea of building a base for self employment during their PhDs which they can use after the degree is completed.thankstoyin--On 31 December 2011 16:49, Ikhide <xokigbo@yahoo.com> wrote:
--"Whining PhD students are nothing new, but there seem to be genuine problems with the system that produces research doctorates (the practical "professional doctorates" in fields such as law, business and medicine have a more obvious value). There is an oversupply of PhDs. Although a doctorate is designed as training for a job in academia, the number of PhD positions is unrelated to the number of job openings. Meanwhile, business leaders complain about shortages of high-level skills, suggesting PhDs are not teaching the right things. The fiercest critics compare research doctorates to Ponzi or pyramid schemes."I disagree with the Economist. I do believe that beleaguered nations like Nigeria could use all the PhDs it can train and productively use. America is a different ball game. Depending on what your life's passions are, a PhD may be a thorough waste of time in America; I wouldn't recommend it. But it is a thought-provoking read. Read on.- Ikhide- Ikhide
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
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USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Economist: Economics blogs A less dismal debate
"Let Truth and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter?" asked John Milton in Areopagitica, his rousing defence of a free press, in 1644. But in an era when a blog can be set up with a few clicks, not everyone agrees that more voices and more choices improve the quality of debate. Cass Sunstein, a Harvard law professor, has argued that by allowing people to retreat into "information cocoons" or "echo chambers" in which they hear only views they agree with, the blogosphere fosters polarisation—a fear widely shared by politicians. Forbes once called blogs "the prized platform of an online lynch mob spouting liberty but spewing lies, libel and invective."
- Ikhide
USA Africa Dialogue Series - It's the security, stupid!
..
Saturday, 31 December, 2011
It's the security, stupid!
There is nothing more frustrating for Nigerians right now than watching President Goodluck Jonathan make a hash of the national security situation, especially with his handling of the Boko Haram insurgency. His latest gimmick of declaring a state of emergency in parts of some states in the North is another shambolic response to a situation demanding more robust, honest and well-considered action. It would seem that all we've got after the latest round of bloodletting is another emission of hot fumes from the presidential Olympus!
First, the President declares a state of emergency in 15 Local Government Areas across 4 states. Why such piecemeal approach this late in the day? Why, when these are not the only Local Government Areas or States where there have been incidences of violence and terrorist activities? What criteria did the President adopt to make this declaration?
Secondly, what does this declaration mean in concrete terms? I mean, this is the first time the President would be making a declaration that isn't state-wide in each case, so what happens to civil administrations and civil liberties in these Local Government Areas, especially as it would seem the declaration makes no provision for any type of change in civil administration? Does the declaration only mean the deployment of law enforcement agencies in these areas? If so, what has prevented the deployment before now? In essence, what is the purpose of the declaration of a state of emergency if all it means is the deployment of law enforcement agents?
Thirdly, the President says the temporary closure of the borders between Nigeria, Niger and Chad is "part of the overall strategy to overcome the current security challenges", but how? If the idea is to stop terrorists crisscrossing borders, it does not help that not all the Local Government Areas affected contiguous to the land borders with these countries are under the state of emergency, thus still giving terrorists free movement across borders elsewhere. Or does singling out of Local Government Areas in Bornu, Yobe, Plateau and Niger while ignoring the fact that Bauchi, Jigawa, Gombe, Adamawa, Kaduna and Kano have been hotbeds of terrorism as well not undermine the whole strategy?
What this type of piecemeal and half-hearted declaration of state of emergency does is to disperse and germinate the rebellion further and make it difficult for newly affected areas to cope with it, especially as there is an obvious lack of overarching security strategy. I mean, telling Nigerians on the last day of 2011 that the presidency is only now just thinking of setting up "a special force unit within the Armed Forces, with dedicated counter terrorism responsibilities" is alarming! Why has this not been done all these years considering we have had problems with terrorism, even long before the Boko Haram insurgency reared its head?
Lastly, the President's declaration may have breached the provisions of Section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) dealing with procedure for a declaration of a state of emergency. The President says he is issuing the proclamation under Section 305 (1) of the Constitution which states: "Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the President may by instrument published in the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency in the Federation or any part thereof". This means the President cannot just wake up and declare a state of emergency based on this provision as President Jonathan has done, because activating this provision is subject to other provisions of the Constitution, all of which are clearly stated in Section 305. Section 305 (2) makes clear that an announcement isn't the first part of the process, instead the President will first have to publish this in the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation, which then becomes the instrument of the Proclamation. The Constitution did not say a mere announcement is sufficient.
Again, the President does not just get to gazette this and proclaim, except certain conditions are met. In other words, there must be a condition precedent. Section 305 (3)(a) –(g) lists these conditions, any of which would be sufficient to give the President a reason to begin the process of the declaration of a state of emergency:
The President shall have power to issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency only when -
(a) the Federation is at war;
(b) the Federation is in imminent danger of invasion or involvement in a state of war;
(c) there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security;
(d) there is a clear and present danger of an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof requiring extraordinary measures to avert such danger;
(e) there is an occurrence or imminent danger, or the occurrence of any disaster or natural calamity, affecting the community or a section of the community in the Federation;
(f) there is any other public danger which clearly constitutes a threat to the existence of the Federation; or
(g) the President receives a request to do so in accordance with the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
Section 305(4) referred to above makes clear that the process of declaration begins democratically in the State with the Governor putting this before the House of Assembly, which must sanction it with a two-thirds majority vote. According to the provision: "The Governor of a State may, with the sanction of a resolution supported by two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly, request the President to issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency in the State when there is in existence within the State any of the situations specified in subsection (3) (c), (d) and (e) of this section and such situation does not extend beyond the boundaries of the State". To make it clear that the President cannot just act on his own without the process of Section 305(4) having been first explored, Section 305(5) declares: "The President shall not issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency in any case to which the provisions of subsection (4) of this section apply unless the Governor of the State fails within a reasonable time to make a request to the President to issue such Proclamation".
However, there are those who would argue that Section 305 (4) & (5) cannot apply here, because the situation has extended beyond the boundaries of one state. Even if we concede that (because the Constitution is silent in a situation where the problem is in more than one state), we are still left with the considerable problem of the unconstitutionality of a mere announcement masquerading as a Proclamation when this is yet to be in the Official Gazette or passed by a resolution of the National Assembly. So, in essence what the President has done now is effectively a nullity until the National Assembly reconvenes on 3 January, 2012 and by virtue of Section 305(6)(b), if they reconvene then, they will have to pass a resolution approving the Proclamation within two days. If they fail to do this, this proclamation will have no effect.
Personally, I wouldn't want to make too much of an issue of these procedural failings by the President. He can quickly get these corrected before the National Assembly reconvenes by putting this in the Official Gazette and passing it to the National Assembly as required by the Constitution. Of course, there are those who would argue that the President hasn't said his Proclamation is effective yet and that I may be jumping the gun by accusing him of unconstitutionality. To these persons, I once again direct to the provisions of Section 305 (1) & (2). The Constitution is clear under what instrument and through what publication this type of news ought to reach the National Assembly and Nigerians. It is not only by a mere announcement. The Constitution is also clear that the President should "immediately after the publication, transmit copies of the Official -Gazette of the Government of the Federation containing the proclamation including the details of the emergency to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each of whom shall forthwith convene or arrange for a meeting of the House of which he is President or Speaker, as the case may be, to consider the situation and decide whether or not to pass a resolution approving the Proclamation". Making such a Proclamation when the National Assembly is on recess means they cannot be dealing with this immediately, which calls to question why such a Proclamation is being made now. Why didn't the President wait until 3 January, 2012 and simply follow the Constitution and pass it to the National Assembly? What exactly does he aim to achieve by proclaiming it now?
At any rate, I find all of this a charade. In July 2011, some of us got together and sent a Petition to the President, making certain proposals to deal with the issue.
The President, as usual, ignored this and carried on as though we have no problem. We have since had the bombing of the UN offices and the escalation of terrorist activities of Boko Haram, culminating in the Christmas day bombing of a church in Abuja. This response by the President will not do.
Of course, we will patiently wait to hear the details of the Proclamation to be transmitted to the National Assembly, but it is obvious that what the President is calling "decisive measures necessary to restore normalcy in the country especially within the affected communities" do not look adequate. Also, treating this now as only affecting some communities would be minimalist. The whole of the country is affected and a nationwide security overhaul is what is needed. The President must know that the counterterrorism unit of the Armed Forces he is just trying to put in place now will take quite sometime to be deployable, as officers will need to be chosen, trained (some of them abroad) before being deployed. The unit itself will, apart from operationally getting itself prepared as soon as possible, be administratively astute enough to meet the challenges of new security demands without being unduly bogged down by bureaucracy, even as its actions must be seen not to be against the rule of law. Yet, all this is still sort of long-term.
What the President ought to be looking at right now is how to effectively checkmate the activities of terrorists by using the people they are terrorising against them, including establishing a fast-track judicial process that must still meet the standards of the rule of law. Nigerians are yet to be convinced that the administration at any level is committed to dealing with the problem of security holistically and genuinely. This mere declaration of a state of emergency in some Local Government Areas isn't going to convince them. I urge the President to once again look at our July proposals. They are still valid for these times and when the counterterrorism unit is up and running it can only make things better.
Kennedy Emetulu
London
………….
Saturday, 31 December 2011
President Goodluck Jonathan's Speech Declaring a State of Emergency in parts of the North
Fellow Nigerians, it has become necessary to address you on recent events in some parts of the country that have threatened our collective security and shaken the foundations of our corporate existence as a nation.
You are all aware of the security challenges which the activities of the Boko Haram sect have foisted on the country. What began as sectarian crises in the North Eastern parts of the country has gradually evolved into terrorist activities in different parts of the country with attendant negative consequences on our national security.
Government in an effort to find a lasting solution to the security threats occasioned by the activities of the Boko Haram sect, constituted a Presidential Committee under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari, to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the crises. While efforts are being made to implement the recommendations of the Committee, the crises have assumed a terrorist dimension with vital institutions of government including the United Nations Building and places of worship becoming targets of terrorist attacks.
While the search for lasting solutions is ongoing, it has become imperative to take some decisive measures necessary to restore normalcy in the country especially within the affected communities. Consequently, I have in the exercise of the powers conferred on me by the provisions of section 305(1) of the Constitution, declared a state of emergency in the following parts of the federation, namely:
Borno State
a) Maidugiri Metropolitan LGA
b) Gamboru Ngala LGA
c) Banki Bama LGA
d) Biu LGA
e) Jere LGA
Yobe State
a) Damaturu LGA
b) Geidam LGA
c) Potiskum LGA
d) Buniyadi-Gujba LGA
e) Gasua-Bade LGA
Plateau State
a) Jos North LGA
b) Jos South LGA
c) Barkin-Ladi LGA
d) Riyom LGA
Niger State
a) Suleja LGA
The details of this proclamation will be transmitted to the National Assembly as soon as they reconvene from their current recess, for their necessary action.
The Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General of Police have been directed to put appropriate measures in place to ensure the protection of lives and properties of residents in the affected parts of the country. I therefore urge the political leadership in the affected states and Local Government Areas to give maximum cooperation to the law enforcement agencies deployed to their respective communities to ensure that the situation is brought under control within the shortest possible time.
The Chief of Defence Staff, in collaboration with other Service Chiefs, has also been directed to set up a special force unit within the Armed Forces, with dedicated counter terrorism responsibilities.
As part of the overall strategy to overcome the current security challenges, I have directed the closure of the land borders contiguous to the affected Local Government Areas so as to control incidences of cross boarder terrorist activities as terrorists have taken advantage of the present situation to strike at targets in Nigeria and retreat beyond the reach of our law enforcement personnel.
Let me assure our neighbours, especially within the ECOWAS sub-region, of Nigeria's commitment to its international obligations as provided by the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons. The temporary closure of our borders in the affected areas is only an interim measure designed to address the current security challenges and will be reviewed as soon as normalcy is restored.
I commend the efforts of our political leaders at various levels as well as our traditional and religious leaders for their support for the various conflict resolution mechanisms and peace building measures that have been initiated by this administration. We call on the citizenry to continue to provide useful information to our law enforcement agencies to enable us arrest the situation.
Terrorism is a war against all of us. I call on all Nigerians to join hands with government to fight these terrorists.
I wish all Nigerians a very happy New Year.
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
…
USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: [OurWorldView] Egypt’s Obstructionist Generals
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nowa Omoigui <nowa_o@yahoo.com>
Date: 31 December 2011 22:15
Subject: [OurWorldView] Egypt's Obstructionist Generals
To: defsec@egroups.com, Our World View <OurWorldView@yahoogroups.com>
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From: Nowa Omoigui <nowa_o@yahoo.com>
Date: 31 December 2011 22:15
Subject: [OurWorldView] Egypt's Obstructionist Generals
To: defsec@egroups.com, Our World View <OurWorldView@yahoogroups.com>
NY Times
December 30, 2011
Egypt's Obstructionist Generals
Egypt's military council continues to demonstrate its utter contempt for the citizens who risked their lives to end President Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian rule. In the latest outrage, security forces on Thursday shut down three American-financed democracy-building groups in Cairo and as many as six other nonprofit organizations. Armed with automatic weapons, troops provided no warrants and, in some cases, detained the groups' employees for hours. They confiscated computers and files and sealed the doors when they left.
The three American groups are all well known and respected. Two of them, the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, have ties to the main American political parties. They were authorized by the Egyptian government to monitor the country's first post-Mubarak parliamentary elections, set to resume next week. The third group, Freedom House, just finished its application for official recognition three days ago.
Egypt's Islamist parties, especially the Muslim Brotherhood, have honed their organizational skills over the years and won a majority in the first rounds of parliamentary voting. But the country's liberal and secular activists, the heart of the revolution, still need a lot of help to learn the skills to develop political parties, train poll workers and get out the vote.
The raids go against the military council's promise to allow free and fair elections. They are part of a desperate attempt to intimidate the opposition and cover up the council's many failures by invoking the canard of "foreign" meddling in Egypt's unrest.
Egyptians continue to protest because the army has made clear its determination to cling to political power indefinitely — and control lucrative chunks of the economy — no matter how many civilians it has to arrest or kill.
The Obama administration has spoken out firmly against the raids, and, on Friday, it said the Egyptian government had agreed to stop harassing the democracy groups and return their property. The administration needs to keep pressing that message and make clear that if such abuses continue at least some of the $1.3 billion in annual American military aid will be withheld. The European Union should also review its assistance.
Egypt's generals claim that they are protecting their country. The truth is they are only interested in protecting their own power and perks. Their continued repression is the real threat to Egypt's stability and its future.
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USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: ||NaijaObserver|| Re: "Mother of all bombings coming soon to Lagos", BBC War ns
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From: odidere2001@yahoo.com <odidere2001@yahoo.com>
Date: 31 December 2011 13:41
Subject: ||NaijaObserver|| Re: "Mother of all bombings coming soon to Lagos", BBC War ns
To: awofeso@mwebafrica.com, omoodua@yahoogroups.com, nigeria360@yahoogroups.com, naijaobserver@yahoogroups.com, Naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com, Talknigeria@yahoogroups.com, odidere2001@yahoo.com
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From: odidere2001@yahoo.com <odidere2001@yahoo.com>
Date: 31 December 2011 13:41
Subject: ||NaijaObserver|| Re: "Mother of all bombings coming soon to Lagos", BBC War ns
To: awofeso@mwebafrica.com, omoodua@yahoogroups.com, nigeria360@yahoogroups.com, naijaobserver@yahoogroups.com, Naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com, Talknigeria@yahoogroups.com, odidere2001@yahoo.com
Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless |
-----Original message-----
From: "Mr. Seyi Olu Awofeso" <awofeso@mwebafrica.com>
To: nigeria360@yahoogroups.com, newnaijapolitics@yahoogroups.com, odidere2001@yahoo.com
Sent: Sat, Dec 31, 2011 12:05:35 GMT+00:00
Subject: "Mother of all bombings coming soon to Lagos", BBC War ns"Mother of all bombings coming soon to Lagos", BBC Warns
General Superintendent, the Deeper Christian Life Bible Church, Pastor W. F. KumuyiFile A security alert by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security has hinted that Boko Haram may bomb Lagos State on January 1, 2012.
The hint from its Field Security Coordination Officer, Mr. Ramesh Singh, on Friday, urged Lagos residents to stay away from places of worship, night clubs, cinemas and other crowded places.
Though unconfirmed, Singh said that the bomb threat was described by British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa Service as the "mother of all bombings."
He called on Lagos residents to take necessary steps to secure their environment.
In an electronic message, it said, "There is unconfirmed information which has emanated from the Hausa community and has apparently been on the BBC Hausa Service.
"The information is citing some threats from the Boko Haram to bomb Lagos on January 1, and it is being termed in their local languages as 'the mother of all bombings'."
The call to stay away from places of worship is, however, coming about 24 hours to the New Year's Eve, when most Christians congregate to welcome a new year.
Typically, the population of all places of worship usually grow by at least 100 per cent on such nights, as people who seldom visit churches do so as a tradition.
Findings by our correspondent showed that a lot of people had already opted to enter the anticipated year with family members in their homes, rather than attending the traditional "cross-over services."
It was found that some Pentecostal churches with large congregation still expected members to turn up for the service despite the bomb threat.
In a different development, the Household of God Church, led by Pastor Chris Okotie, on Friday reportedly announced the cancellation of its planned watch night service so as not to expose members to Boko Haram attack.
Also, the General Superintendent, the Deeper Christian Life Bible Church, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, on Friday, reviewed the time for watch night service from the initial 9 pm kick-off time to 4 to 7 pm.
Some other churches said they would end the watch night service immediately after 12 midnight and expected members back for the New Year's Day service on Sunday morning, while others said there would be no other service after the watch night service.
The National Secretary, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Pastor Wale Adefarasin, in a telephone interview, told our correspondent that he had asked Christians to be vigilant as they attended the watch night service and report any suspicious movement accordingly.
Lined-up watch night services in the parishes of the Redeemed Christian Church remain intact.
The same applies to branches of the Church of God Mission, Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, Kingsway International Christian Centre, House on the Rock and Winners Chapel, Ota, with members predominantly from Lagos.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command on Friday denied speculations that members of the Boko Haram sect were in the state. The command's spokesman, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, urged residents to disregard such speculations.
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USA Africa Dialogue Series - On Gay Rights, Obama Lets Surrogates Take the Lead - NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/us/politics/on-gay-rights-obama-lets-surrogates-take-the-lead.html?src=recg
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Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Economist: The disposable academic Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time
Toyin,
The idea that PhDs invest in self employment is a good one, I imagine. Nigeria could use any and everything, any and everyone, there is so much hunger in that land for resources. I was there in September and I can attest to how much there is to do in Nigeria. The resources are simply not there; much of it looted openly by thieving intellectuals and politicians. You and I know that there is nothing new that I am going to say in terms of ideas that folks on this forum and elsewhere have not said in the past. Why just recently, Etannibi Alemika wrote a thoughtful piece on the same issue. If people are not responding it is not that they don't care, they are tired of saying the same thing over and over again with nothing happening.
We need to stop talking and start shaming people into being accountable. I seriously doubt that there is any Nigerian intellectual on this forum that will not privately say, what is happening to our children and youth in our classrooms is disgraceful. There are many Nigerian PhDs abroad toiling at jobs beneath the expense and trouble of their earned degrees. We could use them back home. I love your idea, but Toyin, our people do not care. They do not care that generations of children are being abused in classrooms - because their own kids are safe elsewhere. These thugs are of my generation, those of us who were educated at great cost by the military. You know me, I am not going to make patronizing noises about the situation. That would be dishonest, I will say what I am seeing, which is that our intellectuals are collaborating with the politicians to ruin other people's children.
And of course this is not just my passion, this is my life and my career. I have been in K-14 education all my professional life - three decades with all but three of those served here in the US and being part of a leadership team running the 16th largest public K-12 school system in the US and the best of course, if I may say so ;-) So it pains me because I care and because I know what I am talking about. You can talk all you want, our people do not listen. You may think I exaggerate when I say this, but if you calculate per student how much is being stolen daily, the figure would rival the cost/pupil of educating a child anywhere in the West. And yet our primary schools look like where lizards are being abused. Under those circumstances I should be forgiven for sneering at anyone calling that situation an education. It is criminal and we should all be ashamed of the situation.
And by the way, I do not understand how you can tolerate a situation where a 35-year old Nigerian educated up to the tertiary level knows little or nothing about Biafra and the Nigerian civil war. And the notion that Biafra was all about mere secession just seems to me a simplistic reading of the Nigerian situation. But it is your opinion, not mine. Be well,
- Ikhide
From: toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com>
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 12:54 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - The Economist: The disposable academic Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time
Ikhide,
It would be interesting to read from you your views on the significance of PhDs to the Nigerian academic system, since that system attracts a significant degree of your passion.
The essay in the Economist is interesting and sums up longstanding issues in the PhD universe of parts of Europe and North America.
One approach that PhDs could use is the idea of building a base for self employment during their PhDs which they can use after the degree is completed.
thanks
toyin
On 31 December 2011 16:49, Ikhide <xokigbo@yahoo.com> wrote:
--"Whining PhD students are nothing new, but there seem to be genuine problems with the system that produces research doctorates (the practical "professional doctorates" in fields such as law, business and medicine have a more obvious value). There is an oversupply of PhDs. Although a doctorate is designed as training for a job in academia, the number of PhD positions is unrelated to the number of job openings. Meanwhile, business leaders complain about shortages of high-level skills, suggesting PhDs are not teaching the right things. The fiercest critics compare research doctorates to Ponzi or pyramid schemes."I disagree with the Economist. I do believe that beleaguered nations like Nigeria could use all the PhDs it can train and productively use. America is a different ball game. Depending on what your life's passions are, a PhD may be a thorough waste of time in America; I wouldn't recommend it. But it is a thought-provoking read. Read on.- Ikhide- Ikhide
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