USA Africa Dialogue Series - Titles...

The people of Sierra Leone and indeed American too are fond of
awarding degrees and granting titles left, right and centre, "
Mwalimu" " Great Mwalimu" " Greater Mwalimu", "chief", "kusababisha"
in the same tones that Bush ( "the bozo") was once, " The
Bushler" ( in the days of " it's the economy stupid") and Condoleezza
was the lizard ( doesn't sweat/ perspire) in Krio known as "kondo" –
"condoh" ( food) is something else...

Most famous in Nigeria during the military interregnums / "the
changing of the guards", was the title " Chief of staff"; it could
designate the principal of a college, the director of a gambling
casino, the chief clerk in a n office, a traffic policeman on the
take,and that's how you cower and salute him, "chief of staff" before
he slams you something worse than an ordinary parking ticket or a
fine,to be paid just around the corner where you will have to park and
discuss a reasonable contribution to help alleviate the man's suffer-a-
tion, around the corner, at Court 9

or else he kicks in your headlights

and charges you with
driving without lights

Could be the mayor, the Oba, the commissioner of police, a criminal or
the Emir;the holder of the title "chief of staff" also symbolizes
local power., e.g. Agba Falola

There is the praise-singer tradition in Yoruba currently still under
observation in the opening chapter, after the preface, the
invocation,the introduction (the poetry of Double Sense) celebration,
and adulation, it's, A : Odes and Praises ( Etches on Fresh Waters"

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&sugexp=efrsh&gs_nf=1&cp=40&gs_id=b&xhr=t&q=Falola%2C+Adesola+%3A+Etches+on+Fresh+waters&pf=p&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&oq=Falola,+Adesola+:+Etches+on+Fresh+waters&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=861f8e23df00fca0&biw=1024&bih=656

Oh, in Sierra Leona you hear all the sycophants forever genuflecting
and saying, " His Excellency" but curiously enough, not for Brother
Obama...

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