Correction. That last sentence should read :
Effebo was offered an appointment as Governor of Rivers State soon after Buhari & Idiagbon took over on New Year's Eve, 1983 , but he politely declined , I think , because of his closeness to the ousted Governor, His Excellency Melford Okilo
The old colonial forms of address to colonialism's presence through its symbols of power, "Your Excellency" was retained for Governors. In post-colonial Sierra Leone, the former speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston (GCMG; JP; DCL. MA BCL ; LL.B) was appointed Governor-General of Sierra Leone, and in that post, was in effect the representative of Her majesty, Queen Elisabeth 11, from 1962 - 1969 ( died in London on the 11th of January 1969 and was buried in Freetown on the 26th of January, 1969 - In Pace Nunc Requiescat, after having served his day and generation after the will of God)
The radical Soludo probably thinks that that jaw-breaking form of address ("Your Excellency") belongs with other relics , to the colonial past, and probably sees himself as more of " a man of the people"; but what about the more traditional titles of e.g. Yoruba Obas , the Kalabari Amarchrees, for example, what would/ should be the appropriate traditional forms of address to such dignitaries ?
And what about the other Nigeria governors, occupying those heavenly hierarchies, will they take kindly to be unceremoniously being reduced from " Your Excellency" to being addressed as mere " Mr. Governor" ?
"You may call me Terry,
you may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby,
you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J.,
you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say
Still, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Yes, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve somebody Ah, yeah (Serve somebody) ( Gotta Serve Somebody
O power relations!
"eclectic in your linkages of concepts and ideas with a hue of your Jewishness ever present."
That's the judgmental Nigerian schoolteacher IBK not entirely happy with himself, with the full impact of his own cultural presumptions, professional & educational competencies, background feelings of self-worth, IQ relations with the printed and the spoken word and whatnot behind him, backing him. I'm supposed to "think" highly of him , his governors, his presidents, his everything
Which " Jewishness" are you talking about? Is it genetic? un-Yoruba? Cultural? Human ? Like him ?
Here's a smaller question and another approach
IBK;
Do you know that when approaching the Throne of Majesty you first take three steps backwards before taking three steps forward ?
Like that impertinent someone who asked Hillel the Elder to teach him the entire Torah while standing on one leg, taskmaster Ibukunolu. A. Babajide the lawyer wants to impose certain limits to my freedom of speech. He wants me to be brief. As brief as possible. He is of course only joking, because he knows that he is making a very difficult request, almost asking the impossible when he wants me to at least " try", to "please try to be succinct and economical with words". Would he address his boss or Mr. President ( Muhammadu Buhari) in like manner,"please try to be succinct and economical with words"? Of course not. So it's power relations. In addressing Mr. President he would be as obsequious as the average Nigerian citizen and as would be normal for an average Nigerian lawyer of his lowly status relative to the status of Nigeria's Chief of Chiefs, Muhammadu Buhari. Because discretion is the better part of valour Senor Ibukunolu. A. Babajide would be sinking himself into the basement level of self-abasement and saying in the usual ingratiating manner in which they usually write that kind of letter, " I should be very grateful for your answer, Sir" , thereby hoping to be appointed Nigeria's next Attorney-General.
Fortunately for IBK, I'm neither a rabbi nor Oga Buhari , secondly, because this is a public forum, in whatever I say here, I'm not talking to only you.
In Nigeria, there's often the situation in which the question is asked, " Do you know who I am? "
Maybe a hungry traffic policemen on the lookout to pick up some small change pulls you over and it's the same question: Do you know who I am?
I cannot remember ever addressing anyone outside of this forum as " Professor" - apart from my wife's sister, a professor of medicine, and then, I was more or less joking, in response to some medical advice she was giving about the value of exercise , so on that occasion I has said, " Yes, Professor Kilbom!", otherwise , she was always "Åsa"
"I'm just average, common too
I'm just like him, the same as you
I'm everybody's brother and son
I ain't different than anyone
It ain't no use a-talking to me
It's just the same as talking to you" ( I Shall be free no.10)"populist posturing" ? In the Nigerian context , how am I supposed to know? This much is clear: the oga remains the oga.
Even after replacing one title "Your Excellency" , with another , " Mr. Governor" , Soludo's function remains the same. The change of title does not level the playing field. IN my case I would feel immense embarrassment to be addressing him as " Mr. Governor" - unless of course the sarcasm was being heartfelt - then of course I wouldn't be feeling embarrassed only thinking how ridiculous. This is what colonialism has done to us. Replace one governor with another. Change the management from white to black. ( At a staff party somebody got drunk and addressed the boss thus: " Muthafkker, come over here !"
If Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo really wanted to dispense with formalities he could request that his fellow citizens call him by name, Charles or Chuks. I circumvented saying "Francis" or Senator Ellah to Senator Francis Ellah, by constantly saying " Sir". That is how I felt and that is what I meant. But Police Commissioner Effebo - who was my senior, I called Mr. Effebo - and Mallah ( Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly - and a good friend and Scrabble companion who I liked, honoured and respected, I called Mallah! These were power relations within social relations . Effebo was offered an appointment as Governor of Rivers State soon after Buhari & Idiagbon took over on new Year's Eve, 1983 , but he politely declined , I think , because of his closeness to the ousted Governor Melford Okilo
On Mon, 24 Jan 2022 at 12:32, Ibukunolu. A. Babajide <ibk...@gmail.com> wrote:Cornelius,--You are eclectic in your linkages of concepts and ideas with a hue of your Jewishness ever present. Can you please answer this question.Is the replacement of "Your Excellency" with "Mr. Governor" tantamount to "populist posturing?"Please try to be succinct and economical with words.Cheers.IBKSent from IBK's iPhone X MaxOn 24 Jan 2022, at 23:46, Ibukunolu A Babajide <ibk...@gmail.com> wrote:There Won't Be Fanfare At My Inauguration – SoludoAnambra State Governor-Elect, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, on Thursday, said that there won't be fanfare during his inauguration on March 17. He said that funds for such would be used to address more important development issues in the state.Soludo made it clear that he had adopted an open governance model that would guarantee transparency and accountability to Ndi Anambra; insisting that his administration would not waste the state's resources on jamborees.The incoming governor bared his mind during the inauguration of his 80-man transition committee led by Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili at Golden Tulip Hotel, Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor said that he would move from the inauguration venue to his office and from there to the slums in Onitsha and environs particularly Okpoko community where he plans to clean up.He said that those who would be appointed into the government must be ready to work as "there is no time to waste", saying that he was determined to revamp Anambra's economy and place the state on the global map."I'll be heading to Okpoko immediately after the inauguration. I'll put in eight hours of work immediately after the inauguration. Don't expect fanfare because it won't take place", he stated.Soludo promised to finish the works started by the outgoing Governor Willie Obiano and then initiate new ones; adding that he would source for competent hands that would help to develop the state irrespective of where they come from."If a Pakistani will give us 24 hours of electricity, I will bring him and make him commissioner for utilities. What the people care about is the services they get and not necessarily who did it. We want to get good results here. What matters is the result. Accountability is a must here", Soludo declared.The Sun NigeriaOn Sun, 23 Jan 2022, 06:41 Cornelius Hamelberg, <cornelius...@gmail.com> wrote:Some very pungent inputs by IBKThe title goes with the office.
Here is the hierarchy:
1. God – the King of Kings
2. The rest of us mortals.
The rest of us can be further subdivided among the mankind of this earth to whom God gave dominion over the rest of His earthly creations.
Wryly put, of course, some of those who have arrogated to themselves titles or had conferred on them titles such as Your Royal Highness/ Mr. President/ Prime Minister/ Chief of Staff/ Your Excellency /Governor of the Central Bank/ Billionaire/ Professor of Everything etc.,. want to be regarded as earthly gods to their people, although , e.g. Jesus told some of his people at the time," Don't you know that it is written, " ye are all gods" ?
The children of Israel complained that they too wanted to have a king like other people , so they got Saul, the first king of Israel. Historian Gloria in Excelsis could probably tell us what was happening elsewhere around the time of Saul, but fast forward to Uganda, and as we all know, some of those who don't have titles, grudge those who do the tradition, and that in this case it was, "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular"
I believe that in Nigeria, the land of ogas and ogres, wizards and witches, demons and demi-gods this is the customary attitude when citizen x encounters those in authority
In republican America where they don't have a king or kings, this line went down well, John Amos in Coming to America addressing the African King who was saying something about his precious daughter Lisa: "I don't give a damn who you are, this is America Jack , you say one more word about Lisa, and I'll break my foot off in your royal ass"
In my first week in Port Harcourt , I was invited to dinner by someone I had never heard about previously, namely the former Military Governor Diete Spiff and actually had a sumptuous meal with him and his family, and for all the good reasons best known to me and myself, I avoided him from then on - didn't want to get involved with him , his friends or any members of his family; as Bob Marley had made clear, "Never make a politician grant you a favour, they will always want to control you forever, eh (forever, forever)" So I didn't visit my friend Dr. Mathias Offoboche in Cross Rivers either, basically because i value my own personal freedom greatly....
--On Saturday, 22 January 2022 at 14:14:33 UTC+1 ibk wrote:Toyin/Chidi,Chidi wants to work his sums to fit his prescribed "populist posturing" answer. What is excellent about any Governor? The appellation "Your Excellency" is a relic of feudal divine royal mandates. It is a misnomer in modern democratic settings. In diplomatic circles it endures as this predates the social upheavals that gave birth to modern democracies. Diplomats carry the excellence of one royal court to another.For Soludo to drop it means he is a cerebral intellectual who easily saw the incongruity in that title for a democratically elected Governor. The Americans call their President, MR. President.Apart from his political correctness he has followed the wisdom in the proverb of our elders that when logs fall on logs, we pick the ones at the top first (Bi igi ba wo le igi, ti oke la nkoko gbe). Change of how he is called is a log at the top of the pile and he has lifted it to set the tone of his tenure. It is too early to read adverse meanings to such an inane and mundane act.Anambra, unlike Imo has been blessed with relatively good Governors and I see Soludo doing far better than his predecessors in the exalted office Mr. Governor will now occupy.Cheers.IBKNB. Remind me to share stories about Gani's SAN. The story started in 1970 when Richard Akinjide was NBA president and Gani Fawehinmi was the PRO and Diette Spiff the Governor of Rivers State condoned the shaving of Amachree's head with a broken bottle. IBKSent from IBK's iPhone X MaxOn 22 Jan 2022, at 14:17, Oluwatoyin Adepoju <ovde...@gmail.com> wrote:Chidi is making vital points.ThanksToyin--On Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 13:06 Chidi Anthony Opara, FIIM <chidi...@gmail.com> wrote:Oluwatoyin,Most times, when people start with populist posturing, the aim is to divert attention.Soludo dropped the word "Excellency"(as if that is the major problem of Anambra people), but asked to be addressed as "Mr. Governor".If "Excellency" would alienate the people, how would "Mr. Governor" draw the people closer?Haven't we seen where people hold/embrace accessible governors and presidents shouting "your excellency!"?Fela was a musician.As for Gani, as a lawyer(not as an activist), when he made Professional appearances in courts, did he present himself as simply Gani? Did he drop the "Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)" title? Did the SAN title limit common people's access to him?Considering the load of work to be done in Anambra state and in fact, in the whole of Nigeria, populist posturing is hardly the best way to start.Thank you.-Chidi Anthony Opara (CAO)Post script:An 80-person "Transition Committee" for a state is uncalled for. Most of them would be redundant. One doesn't even need "international figures" for such assignment. A few sincere and dedicated men and women with considerable experience and knowledge of the problems of Anambra state can handle the assignment. Soludo seem to still be in campaign mood, when he should be getting into governance mood.-CAO.
On Saturday, January 22, 2022, Oluwatoyin Adepoju <ovde...@gmail.com> wrote:Superb summation on naming by IBK.I pray the Soludu vision is fulfilled.Toyin--On Sat, Jan 22, 2022, 09:05 Ibukunolu. A. Babajide <ibk...@gmail.com> wrote:Chidi,--No two people are the same. Each is unique in time and space. Lateef Jakande was unique to Lagos of his time. So was Samuel Mbakwe to the Imo of his time. Allow Soludo to also be unique to the Anambra of his own time.Dropping the term Excellency may be populist rhetoric to you but it serves a practical purpose. I will give you two great Nigerians who taught me lessons and I knew personally. The first is Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Fela was Fela to all. The other was Gani Fawehinmi who was also Gani to all.Dropping accolades creates access to the Governor. It removes the stress and psychological barrier of how do I refer to this man in an appropriate way? I better not talk to him inappropriately lest I annoy him and his sensibilities. A vital nugget that may act as the catalyst of great inspiration for the development of Anambra may be lost forever.Gani was Gani to all both old and young. So was Fela was Fela. Those two encouraged me to be IBK to all both young and old. When people have easy access to you, you gain but if you build gates of vanity in the use of accolades like Chief, Dr. Prof. Your Excellency etc. you create undue mental and psychological protocols that people must surmount to communicate with you.Soludo is on the right path. I have faith in him. He will not be a big disappointment like Ayade. Soludo's 80 professorial transition cooks will not spoil the Anambra broth. I see as late Raphael Uwechue told me at his Hammersmith office at the heat of the June 12 struggle that what Nigeria needs is proper husbanding of her resources. Soludo will husband Anambra's resources to the greater glory of that state. He has started with 80 intellectual giants in his transition team. Next are the many billionaires that will turn the state into the Japan of Africa.Soludo has the vision and the know how. He is already known so he is not driven by the crude acquisition of money but like Jakande and Mbakwe he wants to leave a lasting legacy. God help him.Cheers.IBKSent from IBK's iPhone X MaxOn 21 Jan 2022, at 21:40, Chidi Anthony Opara, FIIM <chidi...@gmail.com> wrote:Today's Quote:I am beginning to be worried at Anambra state Nigeria governor-elect, Professor Soludo's populist rhetorics. When late Sam Mbakwe of old Imo State and late Lateef Jakande of Lagos State ruled as governors and delivered on their promises for example, they didn't have to drop the "Excellency" title.-Chidi Anthony Opara (CAO)
--
Chidi Anthony Opara is a Poet, IIM Professional Fellow, MIT Chief Data Officer Ambassador and Founder/Publisher of, www.publicinformationprojects.org)
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