Yes O, Lord Oga Ogugua Anunoby,
As the Sheikh used to say, "Good greetings!"
I'm happy to know that you know me as no one else knows me, not even my mentor, Ogbeni Kadiri; that you know me for who I truly am, a bona fide Yoruba chauvinist and a tribalist and that I "see things only through the ethnicity prism".
Cheers!
If only I were the president of Naija I would get Doyin Okupe to press charges against you for insulting me, although I know that in real life, you are likely to be the last Nigerian to ever commit such a crime.
If you think that I'll get the best answer from you if I ask you more directly, "Why don't you criticize Goodluck Jonathan?" - then I'm afraid that you will have to keep on waiting. After reading miles of your verbiage in print, in this forum, I have yet to come over a single instance in which Goodluck Jonathan falls short of perfection in your eyes, whereas when it comes to my man Muhammad Buhari, you can neither forgive nor forget as you go on pounding him without any letup for what you say are his sins of the past.
I know that it's not islamophobia either.
For the umpteenth time you've told us that you are not overly enthused about the prospect of a Buhari presidency. I know that you will be saying that and even having nightmares about him even after Christmas and well into the New Year.
We notice that you now include General Obasanjo as being of the same military ilk and gene and that he is guilty of a similar vicious mode of conduct...
About Hon. Tambuwal I'll say only this, that his life may be in danger. Does this not concern you at all? In my opinion it's as serious as Yehuda Glick's security detail being withdrawn – and (God forbid) but if anything untoward should happen to either of these men, who would you blame?
Do you still believe that "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."?
I too understand that about Goodluck Jonathan, corruption, the mass murder in the North of Nigeria and oil piracy in South, you have the right to remain silent...
Yours Sincerely,
CH
On Monday, 1 December 2014 18:21:08 UTC+1, Anunoby, Ogugua wrote:
..."I cannot remember ever hearing you criticize Goodluck Jonathan. Understandably, this is partly because, somehow, just looking at the distribution of portfolios in Goodluck Jonathan's administration, it would seem that Igbos occupy very significant position ( no doubt by dint of the entrepreneurship spirit and that extra special quality of enterprise which has earned Igbos the nickname " the Jews of Africa" ) and occupying such significant positions it's said that they can't possibly complain that their section of the Nigerian polity is under-represented,…"
ch
"I cannot remember ever hearing you criticize Goodluck Jonathan" does not mean that I have not and do not. You go on to determine the a reason why you have not heard me criticize Jonathan. Why be this presumptuous when you can always ask me why I do not and have not? What see things only through the ethnicity prism?
You may need to know that I try my best and hardest to be broad and open minded in my search for the truth. That is why I prefer to work with facts even when my base instinct and imagination are running riot. I have learned that people make history and they make good history when they are more constructive than destructive. I prefer builders to destroyers. A slow builder for me should be preferable to a slow destroyer. I am all for creating/adding value especially in politics which at the end of the day is the "sport" that shapes democratic societies and lives more than any other.I am not overtly enthused about a possible Buhari presidency. Tell/show me why he should be entrusted with powers that he grossly abused the last time he had them. How many rejection at the polls are enough to blunt his ambition? There has been no indication that he is contrite and has learned as he should have by now, to deserve another chance. My sense is that he regrets his lack of attention to developments and events in his administration that got him out of office. He routinely blames other people for his failures in office. You do not want a person who would not accept responsibility for failures as a leader if you know what leadership means and how consequential it can be. One time Buhari was asked about the 52 suitcases scandal at the MM airport in Lagos during his administration. His answer was "Ask Atiku" who he claimed was the Customs officer on duty at the airport on the day. It did not matter to Buhari that his direct military assistant, Major Jokolo, was at the airport too and that Jokolo's intervention precipitated the release of the suitcases.
As politicians, Buhari and Obasanjo have similar antecedents- a shared leadership/management culture and training. They are both cut from the same dirty cloth. If Obasanjo presidency is any guide, Nigerians should be very worried about another soldier of the Obasanjo/Buhari generation as president. Many Nigerians believe that Obasanjo was worse the second time he was Nigeria's Head of State. A majority of Nigerians vested their hopes and dreams in him. They expected him to be much, much better than he turned out to be. The country continues to pay a heavy price for the imprint of his presidency on Nigeria's democratic practice.
The Tambuwal drama in my mind was completely avoidable. That charlatan politicians have switched political parties and remained in office is no reason for Tambuwal to not sit above the fray. Wrong is not right because it was condoned in the past. Well and beyond the law, there is rightness and propriety. Best practice should be encouraged to develop and improve tradition. The march of development should be forward not backward. Tambuwal affronted the Jonathan administration and challenged it to call his bluff and it did. Tambuwal chose to join the company of opportunistic politician "carpet crosses"- a league of shame and retrograde in Nigeria's politics. I wish that as speaker, he gave more thought to the consequences of his decision and action on the Nigeria's political development.
The better things are done, the sooner desired outcomes are likely to happen.
oa
From: usaafric...@
googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com ] On Behalf Of Cornelius Hamelberg
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2014 2:40 AM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: FW: USA Africa Dialogue Series - On this Matter of Party Defections in Nigeria's National and State Assemblies {Re: [Naijaintellects] Chaos at National Assembly: Tambuwal Stopped, David Mark Orders shutdown
Lord Agugua Anunoby,
Your points are always well taken, Sir. At all times, I cannot fail but to be impressed by the sense of justice that animates your serious concerns about our Nigeria. My other favourite lordly Nigerian is Chief Emeka Anyaoku , the former Secretary-General of the Common Wealth. Sadly, we do not hear him sounding off on what's happening in Nigeria during these later years of Book Haram's reign of terror, a terror so terrible that President Goodluck Jonathan can fly regularly to Israel and back ( to the annoyance of some of Nigeria's Muslims) but has conspicuously kept himself away from visiting various areas of sovereign holy Nigerian territory to commiserate with those who almost daily, suffer loss of life, limb and property at the hands of the murderers in the Boko Haram
I'm sorry if I've mistakenly associated you too closely with membership of the fan club headed by Dr. Chika Oyeani who organised the celebration of The Goodluck Jonathan Appreciation Day, over there where you reside, in the United States of America. I cannot remember ever hearing you criticize Goodluck Jonathan. Understandably, this is partly because, somehow, just looking at the distribution of portfolios in Goodluck Jonathan's administration, it would seem that Igbos occupy very significant position ( no doubt by dint of the entrepreneurship spirit and that extra special quality of enterprise which has earned Igbos the nickname " the Jews of Africa" ) and occupying such significant positions it's said that they can't possibly complain that their section of the Nigerian polity is under-represented, to the extent that some of Jonathan's closest friends are said to be joking that his real name is his middle name Ebele Azikiwe and that the prefix Goodluck at the beginning and the surname Jonathan at the end are mere peripheries to his true centre of gravity which to all intents and purposes is Azikiwe
(You know how Nigerians like to particularise about the main ingredients in the national ethnic stew...n.b. : at least once a year the Jews recite this verse Devarim 28:13
"And the Lord will set you at the head, and not at the tail, and you will be only at the top, and you will not be at the bottom, if you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I am commanding you this day, to observe to fulfill [them]."
As a result of which you get guys like these
About the distinction of being Igbo I read some beautiful words on Obododimma Oha's facebook timeline , a guideline for the uncouth, a code of conduct/ loving ethical behaviour for us all...including the understanding of Ferguson...
About my Man Muhammadu Buhari. You've said it all before: that he should apologise to the people of Nigeria for what he did before, that we don't know that he won't do much worse if he comes back even through the ballot box, your ominous words "He has himself to blame for the possible fate that will befall him" and I notice that this time you have omitted to ask where does he get all that money with which to conduct this his fourth campaign to be president of Naija?
But Lord Anunoby, let's leave Muhammadu Buhari alone, let's also leave Nigeria's chief police constable about whom it's said, "The IGP has shown he is a political officer and he has already taken sides with a party against the other. How can we trust him to be neutral in the 2015 general elections?" Him too, let him rest in peace for the time being and the problem of PIRACY that's taking a back seat with Boko Haram at the forefront, more chaos and just for now, let's take a look at the other types of leadership in Nigeria, religious leadership :
1. The Sultan of Sokoto : the spiritual head of Nigerian Muslims:
Amirul Mu'minin Sultan Muhammadu Sa'adu Abubakar III who advocate the release of Boko Haram prisoners for peace.
I can't understand Goodluck Jonathan's reasoning. If Barabbas could be released instead of Jesus how much more urgent isn't the release of Boko Haram prisoners to bring an end to the on going and never-ending Boko Haram carnage?
2. The Emir of Kano
3. There was a time when Cardinal Francis Arinze was close to being Pope - and the impact of such a coronation on Africa would have been immense and even in his present position he could impact what's happening in Nigeria.What are your thoughts on the role religious leadership in addressing Nigeria's current problems mi Lord?
And a good day to you Sir!
Cornelius
1.
2. We Sweden
On Monday, 1 December 2014 03:21:23 UTC+1, Anunoby, Ogugua wrote:ch,
Buhari was not a good leader 1983-85. There is nothing anyone knows about him today that evidently proves to the unbiased that he will be a better leader than he was before, after several presidential election defeats. Why must Buhari be the alternative to Jonathan? Why must disillusionment with Jonathan be the reason for Buhari to be elected president?
Buhari has not shown demonstrably that he regrets any of his many unconstitutional and brutal acts as military dictator. He still can. Tambuwal very well knows that if he must remain speaker after switching political parties, he must be re-elected speaker. Why does he not let that process happen? The office of speaker is a high office of state. Does Tambuwal not know this? He should have more respect for the office. Why mindlessly ferment a crises?
It amazed me that you always labelled me a Jonathan supporter. I have finally figured out why. You belong to the George W. Bush "if you are not with us, you are against us" school. You believe I am a Buhari hater which is not true I might add. I must therefore be a Jonathan lover which is also not true. You are now, even surer that I am because I propose that Tambuwal take the path of dignity and honor- keep his House seat, resign as speaker, and seek re-election as speaker which he can do. If he did, he would have contributed measurably to concretizing sound democratic practice in Nigeria.
You may wish to know that my great concern is not personalities but the brigandage that many criminal politicians actively practice in the name of politics in Nigeria. I am concerned about the absurdity, damage and shame that these so-called leaders and their supporters continue to inflicted on Nigeria and their fellow citizens.
There are legitimate questions about Buhari as president, given his past role as military Head of State. He should answer them. Tambuwal should keep his seat in the House. He should seek re-election as speaker if he ceases to be a member of the PDP on whose platform he was elected. I do not mind him as speaker so long as he does not cheat his way to remaining speaker. Tambuwal always knew what was going to happen to him if he switched political parties and did not resign as speaker. He has himself to blame for letting himself be a pawn in the PDP/APC struggle. He made himself a lightning rod. He has himself to blame for the possible fate that will befall him and what he has become- a poster boy for chaos.
oa
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafric...@
googlegroups.com ] On Behalf Of Cornelius Hamelberg
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 10:40 AM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: FW: USA Africa Dialogue Series - On this Matter of Party Defections in Nigeria's National and State Assemblies {Re: [Naijaintellects] Chaos at National Assembly: Tambuwal Stopped, David Mark Orders shutdown
Lord Chief Justice Anunoby,
You are extremely judgemental especially when it comes to passing sentence on Hon. Muhammadu Buhari and Hon Aminu Tambuwal but you are brimful to overflowing with praises, love, forgive-ness and tolerance for your good man Goodluck Jonathan and some of the Lootocrats!
Please bear with me (indulge me a wee bit)
("My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.")I guess that perspective is a matter of background and in this case, I can't help thinking of the assassination of Olof Palme in the heart of Stockholm and of Anna Lindh in NK the Stockholm equivalent of London's Harrods, both of them walking unprotected and without any security detail whatsoever, walking in what was and largely still is our Open Society. Nowadays - as far as I know, most politicians and indeed Ambassadors such as Israel's Ambassador always have at least one bodyguard - even on the way to the synagogue.
That your last line, "The law is usually not a matter of right and wrong. The law is a matter of the law. ", transports me back to a discussion I had with my daughter (a Gold Medalist in Law -University of London) in which she told me, " I love the law!".
Well, she's not the only one who loves the law, King David sang in Psalm One:
"The praises of a man are that he did not follow the counsel of the wicked, neither did he stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the company of scorn
But his desire is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night."
Consider also, Psalm 119:24 and Psalm 119:92
In my mind ( it's merely an act of imagination – what Keats called " negative capability" ) and invoking this "negative capability" I'm now imaginatively addressing you as the Lord Chief Justice of Lord Lugard's Nigeria, not the post colonial Naija:
Let's call a spade by its real name Sir: What you are in fact supporting is vindictive politics and the withdrawal of security for both Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi ( because he fell out with President Goodluck Jonathan - even though he continues as a governor of the president's home state ) and the withdrawal of the Speakers of Nigeria's National Assembly, the Hon. Aminu Tambuwal ( because he legally resigned from being a member of President Goodluck Jonathan's party ) – in both cases what we are seeing is nothing less than punitive measures being carried out by a very vindictive government which apparently has no regard for the sanctity of the life of these two top Nigerian servants...
Callousness you say is too emotive a word for you to describe the circumstances which you think merit state-funded security/ life guards for the Hon. Aminu Tambuwal being withdrawn. Since you give me poetic license maybe I should be talking about "You blocks, you stones, and you worse than senseless things"? In my humble opinion, it is nothing less than another instance of man's inhumanity to his fellow man (as we all saw with the initial lethargy that characterized Goodluck Jonathan's reaction to the kidnapping of the Chibok girls) it's nothing less than contempt for the value of human life, valuable human life and we both know that the role of speaker is a very important one in the democratic structure called representative government.
Here in Sweden, Urban Ahlin, the man who was shadow minister of foreign affairs has now been elected speaker of the Swedish Parliament after the Social Democrats won the last elections, and in Sierra Leone, Sir Henry Lightfoot Boston the then Speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament (also a lawyer like Hon. Aminu Tambuwal) was appointed Governor-General of the country, shortly after Independence. That's how elevated the position of speaker can be...
You say that "If a speaker's legal standing as speaker is in dispute as Tambuwal's seems to be presently, the security detail may be lawfully withdrawn" Have a heart Lord Anunoby! Have a heart for the letter and the spirit of the law! Let us assume that the matter of whether or not Hon. Aminu Tambuwal is still currently speaker is not yet settled (legally and constitutionally) – since you say it is in dispute. Then Hon- Aminu Tambuwal is in some sort of limbo so to speak, as his position has not yet been determined – for which reason you think it's perfectly OK to expose this valuable human servant of the state to danger by withdrawing all protection for his person?
What kind of person could think like that?
I'm sure that when on pilgrimage abroad Goodluck Jonathan and his entourage praying on the banks of the River Jordan or in the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, are fully concentrated on their prayers, confident of full security being provided for himself and his Nigerian pilgrims. Then how much more so must he not be concerned about security for those who serve parliamentary democracy in his motherland Nigeria? Otherwise, you have no choice but must agree with Fela that when it comes to democracy in Nigeria, that it's mostly a matter of "demo-crazy" and "Crazy demo"
Lastly, and this is what puzzles me most greatly: At this late stage of the game, doesn't Goodluck Jonathan want to win the North? Or does he only hope to do so by smashing the opposition? I would have thought that the best way of winning would be by winning people's hearts not by withdrawing or neglecting their protection and heartlessly leaving them to fend for themselves. Just listen to what the Emir of Kano His Eminence Muhammadu Sanusi II and Hon. Atiku AbuBakr have been saying recently, that the people must protect themselves since the government is failing to provide protection. At this stage it looks like a national malady.
Last night I listened to part 12 of this series
And John Armstrong on Civilisation
Hoping that we will soon be supporting the same president...
In Owerri or Dallas,
Sincerely yours,
Cornelius
On Tuesday, 25 November 2014 19:31:03 UTC+1, Anunoby, Ogugua wrote:CH,
The practice in Nigeria is to assign a security detail to the speaker of the house of representatives so long as they are "legally and constitutionally" (your words) in the office of speaker. If a speaker's legal standing as speaker is in dispute as Tambuwal's seems to be presently, the security detail may be lawfully withdrawn. The withdrawal can be challenged in court of course.
It is not for you or I to claim or determine that a speaker's standing as speaker remains lawful in the situation that Tambuwal willfully created knowing fully well that there may be adverse privilege consequences. I would not characterize the decision of the executive arm of government or her agency to withdraw Tambuwal's security detail as an act of "callousness". It is too emotive for me. I respect your right to pick, choose, and use words as you please .
Not that it matters, but Tambuwal has been a Nigerian politician for many years. He should have seen what might come to him before choosing to act as he did. Some state governors have had their security details withdrawn. Governor Amaechi's was. It was okay then. Tambuwal as speaker, was vociferously silent. He was not legally obliged to take a position but it would have been well that he did. Had he done then, he would be standing on firmer and high moral ground today, as he protests his loss of a speaker's security detail.
It is doubtful that Tambuwal is a principled politician. Given his choices and actions regarding his party affiliation at different times, might it be that Tambuwal is an adventurous, ambitious politician ruled by convenience, expediency, and opportunism? He has contested election as a member of different political parties. It is not clear that he stands for anything other than his personal gain. He seems completely inadvertent to the real consequences of his choices and actions on his country. All the above I might add, are no reason for him to lose his security detail as speaker if he should not. All must wait however for his legitimacy as speaker to be determined by an appropriate court. The law is usually not a matter of right and wrong. The law is a matter of the law.
oa
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafric...@
googlegroups.com ] On Behalf Of Cornelius Hamelberg
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2014 8:09 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: FW: USA Africa Dialogue Series - On this Matter of Party Defections in Nigeria's National and State Assemblies {Re: [Naijaintellects] Chaos at National Assembly: Tambuwal Stopped, David Mark Orders shutdown
Lord Anunoby,
I'm expecting a robust rejoinder from you Sir and not a mere à la Lakunle something about "misunderstood by you/ and your race of savages, I rise above taunts/ and remain unruffled"
In this savage day and age of terror
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