REMEMBERING GEORGE SHULTZ

Some men are born great. Some have greatness trusted upon them. Neither principle applies to George Shultz. I am unwilling to accept the proposition that someone who went through Princeton for his Bachelor's Degree, MA and PhD from MIT had greatness trusted upon him or that he was born into greatness. Mr. George Shultz sewed seeds and made sacrifices, and greatness came upon him unsolicited based on the contents of his character. 

I share this story, not because Mr. Shultz was the American Secretary of the Treasury. And certainly not because he was the Secretary of State. I did because he was a great man, a colossus on the global stage of diplomacy who perfected integrating compassion, love, and humanity, and immersion of wisdom into a negotiation, without undermining the national interest of the guy at the other end of the table. 

He brought energy to his job. He was more powerful than the government he served - not in the negative sense. He projected truth. And he projected trust. Terms like Strategic Defense Initiative and Integration of Force and Diplomacy were given life during his term as US Secretary of State.  He was President Nixon's Secretary of the Treasury (Minister of Finance) and Chairman of the Council on Economic Policy. He was appointed Secretary of State by President Reagan. 

He was neither the gregarious Alexander Haig nor the conservative ideological leaning Henry Kissinger, he wasn't about left or right, socialism versus capitalism, or liberalism versus regulated markets. He was simply human - a scholar, an academic, searching for and negotiating common ground to broker workable peace. It was about what is good for mankind. Indeed, he was a gift to America and Ambassador to the whole world. I would add that his groundwork led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dismantling of the Berlin Wall. 

Working with Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger and President Reagan on the one hand and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze and Soviet President Mr. Gorbachev they signed a landmark arms control agreement, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987. Mr. Shultz wanted you to embrace democracy, certainly not by compulsion or tying conditions into it. 

According to Henry Kissinger former Secretary of State, "If I could choose one American to whom I would entrust the nation's fate in a crisis, it would be George Shultz. Reading his book "Turmoil and Triumph: My Years as Secretary of State," all I could see was a man who brought his classroom before the global audience - making friends, lecturing, negotiating deals, and standing for what is noble and male the world a better place. And most often, I would pause and ask myself, why am I not like him and how do I equip myself to be able to carry the global burden on my shoulder without feeling the pain or complaining? 

Reading his book prompted me to buy "Work Hard, Study ... Keep Out of Politics: Adventure and Lesson from an Unexpected Public Life" by James A. Baker III, another giant in American foreign affairs. Reading their works, you could feel the compassion, seriousness, and authenticity they brought to the negotiation table. 

Nigeria had numerous of George Shultz, who, sadly, didn't make it to the global stage in our foreign affairs. Notably, Professor Claude Ake, Professor Eme Awa, Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, Dr Akinola Aguda, and Dr Stanley Macebuh. They were not only intellectually gifted but unapologetically forthright. Except for Dr. Akinola Aguda who was appointed Chief Justice of the nation of Botswana and Lesotho. 

May the soul of Mr. George Shultz rest in peace. 

 On CAMA, I Stand with Bishop Oyedepo and the Chuch

Whatever you do or whatever your intentions are concerning the CAMA proposal to appoint Trustees to regulate the financial affairs of the church, always remember that Pastors and Bishops come and go, but the Church remains. The moment you start subjecting the church, mosque, or religious body to the regulatory rigmarole of a Federal Government that lacks the managerial expertise to regulate its myriad institutions, you'd be creating a monster at Abuja that would hasten your demise as a nation-state. 

With CAMA engagement, the federal government is, directly and indirectly, capturing the inherent rights of the people as it relates to their relationship with God or Allah. If you want to tax the church, fine. But to shroud, your dubious intent under the argument of ensuring regulatory compliance because the church is a creation of an act of state is the vilest a proposition to make. 

There is more to the proposition than meets the eye. It has nothing to do with your love for the congregation or your interest in accountability or financial probity. It is hatred. Pure and simple. The authors of the proposal are not comfortable with the enormous wealth under the control of the big churches in Nigeria. The goal is to curb their influence and demystify the clout of the founders of the megachurches by any means necessary.  

Please, whether you are a lawyer or a public affairs commentator, don't be a victim of the resentment you harbour against some of the big names behind some of the big churches in Nigeria. The motive is to disorganize the church. The proposed financial review is just a facade to hoodwink gullible Nigeria into swallowing their hocus-pocus, to destroy the only institution in Nigeria that is operating outside of their whims and caprices. The church should resist it. 

CELEBRATING NIGERIAN CRITICS

And as long as we continue to measure intellectualism or national relevance based on proficiency in the English language or the use of English Grammar by our writers and commentators, then, Liberal Arts graduates who know little or nothing about public policies or management will continue to loom large in the public space and continue to be celebrated by Nigerians as the conscience of the nation. What are they writing about? Nothing useful. They are critics and they are "news analysts" who derive pleasure and attention by rehearsing and bombarding gullible Nigerians with the same old stories by spicing them with captivating nuances and innuendos. At the end of the day, the readers gain nothing other than beautiful prose. Above all,  corruption and abuse of public trust by political leaders and civil servants remain unchanged. Today, it is more appealing to be a critic than to be solutions-focused in your writing. 

PRESIDENT BUHARI AND THE UNMAKING OF A THESIS.

 I do not profess to be an intellectual, but I have common sense. And my work speaks for me. The Thesis you are about to read was developed and published in 2012. Thank God, everything works out as intended - the culmination of a progressive-leaning political party, the APC. They ran and they won. But the victory died stillbirth. The mandate was hijacked by unknown forces. Today, the said unknown forces are still being defined. The fears that provoked the thesis are unravelling beyond the author's wildest imagination. And the status quo is made worse. Happy reading. 

Thesis:

How do you make a change in a given society, when those who ought to be at the forefront of change [Northern academics, mavericks, and intellectuals] are the direct beneficiaries of the policies [feudalism and caste system] that made the call for change inevitable?

This is not an isolated or abstract academic puzzle - it is the real deal at the core of our political impasse as a nation-state. And it is the first hurdle that those of us (non-partisan real progressives from the South) who think one great Nigeria is not an illusion (a reality) must first overcome to develop a formidable framework for a genuinely progressive movement nationwide.

Here is my approach to the thesis.

In light of the current development in Nigeria, it is incumbent on the part of the vocal northern intellectuals to rebel in principle against the age-old oligarchy system of government prevalent in the northern region to collaborate with the progressives nationwide, to create a political culture that will stand the test of time and benefit everyone equally. 

Given the scale of unrest in the north, rebelling against the feudal philosophy that perpetuates the caste system, becomes a moral obligation, because (1), it is the right thing to do given the level of discontent as well as the total disconnect between the nouveau riche and the Talakawa. (2), the obscene wealth flowing to some individual families in the north from lucrative oil blocs appropriated during the past military regimes is more than necessary to develop the region, and (3), the unpredictable nature of the class warfare that will engulf the area and the spillover effect to the other parts of the country, should status quo remains unchanged, is more potent than imagined. 

Therefore, it is imperative on the part of the Mavericks and militant intellectuals of the North to either step out of their protective closets and align with progressive southerners to build sustainable human and economic development throughout the northern region and Nigeria at large, or remain ensconced in your El Dorado and suffer the Muammar Qaddafi's foolhardiness in the long run. Time is of the essence. 

CHALLENGES BEFORE NIGERIAN PROGRESSIVES

I have no doubt in my mind that a progressive administration - precisely at the national level, devoid of ethnic or religious colouration - is our best hope given the level of discontent on campuses and the apparent disconnect between the governed and successive governments since independence. Until we have a genuine leader who espouses financial discipline, transparency, and accountability in the management of our wealth, we cannot make tomorrow better than today.

Given the fact that the present administration has not exhibited any modicum of rebellion against the status quo in terms of ideas and war against corruption, the earlier progressives of all shapes and stripes unite around a bold agenda and unseat the power clique the better for the nation at large. And that, my friends, is the surest route to emancipating and reinventing the Nigerian man inside of every one of us.

Therefore, this paper is more of a progressive pitch, making a case for (1), the need for Southern progressives and Northern mavericks and intellectuals to unite and rebel against greed and feudal principles to avert imminent class warfare. (2), that given the seemingly fragile state of our sovereignty, the idea of a Sovereign National Conference, though well-intended, should not be a 'take it or leave it' option because there are too many uncertainties surrounding its successful evolution within a definite period. (3), that progressives and mavericks - with a uniform political and socio-economic agenda nationwide - stand a better chance at uniting this country and arresting the ills that facilitate religious intolerance, greed, corruption, and political assassinations, and (4), that the ruling class - from north to south and east to west - often times capitalizes on existing ethnic mistrust to perpetuate their dominance of the political forces at the perils of the greater majority. Therefore, defeating them in a democratic setting is morally imperative. March 2012. 

My comment, is today, May 30, 2021. 

They congregate and after a series of meetings and deliberations, a patchwork was born - the APC. Regrettably, the party that came out of the coalition and won the 2015 Presidential election, did not form the government. I repeat APC did not form a government - General Buhari and the unknown forces did. And they have been in power since May 29, 2015. 

And who are these unknowns? 

They are the purveyors and beneficiaries of the caste system and feudalism that the thesis targeted. You do have a good understanding of feudalism, with the unhinged Almajiri culture and the helplessness of the Talakawas, you no longer need a tutorial on the concept of the caste system. 

The Talakawas and the Almajiri population are the ready tools for jihad, ethnic cleansing, land-grabbing mechanisms, and rigging of elections. So, their espousal of the Boko Haram principles is rooted in the caste system and dominance. 

They are amoebic, they come in different forms in different administrations. With them, ethnic loyalty and the awe of the superiority complex developed from the conquest of the native northerners hundreds of years ago remain unquenched. Whether in military uniforms or agbada, their loyalty is never to the green white green. 

But for the Customs and Immigration Services and the Crude Oil in the Niger Delta, this country would have been gone long ago. 

Let's not make pretence about it, a superiority complex that is built on unproven strength is hard to dislodge, especially when the opposing team is susceptible to capitulation, compromises, and accommodation in every dispute or confrontation. 

In light of the mess that President Buhari and his folks made of this thesis and the progressive mandate, the demand for Decentralization of power is now unassailable. NEVER TRUST A PARASITE WHO TAKES YOUR CIVILITY, EGALITARIANISM, AND PATRIOTIC FERVOR FOR WEAKNESS. 

OVERCOMING THE ALMAJIRI SCOURGE

It is surmountable. The Almajiri culture is surmountable. It is a gradual process. For those who are already in the system, you start by integrating their Quranic or Arabic studies with Western or regular school curricula until the culture (Almajiri) is completely eliminated. This was followed by discouraging parents from sending their children to Imam and Sheikhs out of state for caring and upbringing. You do that by providing social support and making schools available and within walking distance from homes in every community. I wrote a paper on it. President Jonathan experimented on it. President Buhari abandoned it.

His "Boys" are busy chasing me from pillar to post, hacking my accounts with enthusiastic abandon. To the extent of publishing the password of my email addresses on a dangerous website. They cloned some folks' email accounts and used them to invade my messenger, mocking me stridently. While we are focusing on solutions and how to move Nigeria forward, on the other hand, they are doing everything dangerously possible to silence the voices and opinions of the real patriots in other to perpetuate in office a very dangerous human being - an unrepentant racist and a bigot who has never pretended to accept the notion that Nigeria is one country.

He has taken feudalism to a scale unprecedented in the history of our amalgamation. He cherishes and values quality education, but not for every Nigerian child. And he surrounded himself with characters who escalated the worst in him about nation-building, accountability, rule of law, and equal rights and justice. His Attorney General has become a law unto himself - a Gestapo kingpin, devoid of human kindness and professional ethics training. They sent armed men in a mafia-style to private homes to kill and hunt down perceived enemies.

These people are the most dangerous set of political operatives the world has ever seen. This is no longer about APC vs PDP, it is The Buhari's Men vs the rest of us. That's how they see the struggle and that's the fight they fight.

Is this how to rule a country? You could trace me all over the United States; invading my workspace, bank accounts, Facebook account, and email address, but you can't trace the Bandits who are terrorizing the entire North, killing Nigerians, taking over our villages and communities, and spilling blood all over our lustrous landscape. And you want me to be quiet, writing about entertainment and music! Give me the Amajiri, and in three years all the emerging deviants roaming our streets, begging for money will be in classrooms, learning. I know I can do it because I am the author of the almajiri integrative education model.

REMINISCING ON THE "THERE'S IT" VIDEO BY THE SHALAMAR MUSICAL GROUP AND OUR TEENAGE YEARS

I just can't stop loving them. Looking at this video will remind you how young these three guys were at the time. Growing up in Nigeria in the late 70s and 80s, playing and listening to their music, we didn't realize they were in the same age bracket. But they were already living their dream, while we were still battling with our West Africa School Certificate - O' Level Examination.

Despite all the odds, we rock. We party hard. And we study hard (awoko). We didn't know sadness. Whether a Boarding student or not, every student looks up to the Long Holiday period (June, July, and August) with excitement. Who can forget the "Send Off Party" organized around June in honor of all the graduating students from your community? It was fun. Sad to say, Nigerian recent generations do not even know what a "Long Holiday" is, due to the massive disruptions of our academic calendar. And I pray the situation gets better at home soon.

UP FROM SLAVERY: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

I highly recommend this book as a compulsory read for American Middle School students, especially schools in predominantly African American School Districts. Why Middle School? Because the dropout rate of African American students is prevalent in High School. In other words, if they are exposed very early in their academic life, to the struggles and sacrifices made by an educator like Booker T. Washington to be able to go to school as a grown-up teenager, I have no doubt in my mind that school exposure, such awareness will go a long way to inspire them, rejig their interest in education, and ultimately, curtail the High School dropout rate in the Black communities. And if Mr. Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Van Jones, Ice Cube, Eddy Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Nick Cannon, Viola Davis, Robert Townsend, Gary Gray, Ava DuVernay, Forest Whitaker, etc., reading this, I sincerely hope and pray they find the time and resources to bring "Up From Slavery" to our living rooms. That he later made friends with American Presidents in life is immaterial. The "never give up" attitude he exhibited to acquire elementary education when no one was there to inspire and guide him should be integrated into the Great American Hip Hop Culture.

THE FINAL CHAPTER OF MICHAEL JACKSON

The world liked and loved him, but he didn't like himself. I used to have his pictures all over my wall at the university, and I idolized him endlessly and unconditionally. He was the best there was in dancing and entertainment, and the World loved him for the love he gave. The "Off The Wall" Album's picture was the best we had of him. He had problems with the looks and colours of the man in the mirror. All the skin disease excuses are not tenable. There was nothing wrong with his nose; he bruised and battered it trying to make it look like that of his friend, Elizabeth Taylor. He had numerous battles with nature. Thus, allowing Sony Music to accelerate his death. They had a $25,000.00 weekly paid Medical Doctor by his bedside who regulated his sleeping and waking up with the aid of gas. Even when Sony Music knew that the man they were milking and filming and recording was dead walking, they didn't take him to a regular hospital. They kept "knocking him out" with artificial devices to sleep and waking him up at their regulated time. They succeeded in isolating him from his friends and immediate family members. And the man died when nature went on holiday.

The Trial and Conviction of Trayvon Martin: A Common Sense Analysis.

"You can stand your ground if you're white, and you can use a gun to do it. But if you stand your ground with your fists and you're black, you're dead." - David Simon, the Creator of the "Wire" and numerous other TV series. http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/-the-wire--creator-david-simon-on-trayvon-martin-case---ashamed--to-be-an-american-011408813.html

They shot him. They tried him. And they found him guilty. They found him guilty of allegedly inflicting cuts on the head of a racist aggressor masquerading as a vigilante. Yes, Martin was his name - a vivacious young fellow, a child-man with a beautiful heart the whole world has come to know as the unarmed black teenager, ambushed and killed in cold blood by a vigilante Zimmerman for simply being black. 

He was walking along a familiar path that he had every right to be at. Sadly, throughout the trial, the world never had the slightest opportunity - not even by reference - to see the bruised and battered body that shielded the bleeding and mutilated heart of Trayvon Martin. 

The bloody nose of the vigilante bigot was on full display on the TV and on the pages of Newspapers throughout the trial, but nothing was said of the bullet-ridden and mangled heart of an innocent child with no criminal history. No doubt, Trayvon could have been President Barack Obama 35 years ago as the President rightly stated during his address to the nation following the acquittal of Zimmerman. Indeed, Trayvon could have been any black teenager at the moment. And to the black race, there is every Trayvon in every one of us, and that is the more reason that his story is, and will always be our story. 

Twice I tried to watch the trial, and twice I cried. Twice I cried, because guilty or not guilty the world would never see Trayvon again. And that's the tragedy of the story - a vivacious and lovely child man gone so soon. Gone forever through the fatal bullets fired by a trigger-happy vigilante whose responsibility it was to be the “eyes and ears" of the Police and to "report suspicious activities" to law enforcement agencies - not to accost, not to ambush, not to confront, and not to shoot at point-blank at any a "Trayvon Martin" who was not committing any crime. 

Seeing Trayvon, Zimmerman momentarily went blank - he decided to forget the scope of his assignment and what he was trained to do in the circumstance that he was in - report. In addition, Zimmerman failed to heed the timely warning of the 911 Operator who told him DO NOT FOLLOW THE GUY. Zimmerman protested, arguing that 'they always allow these punks' to get away. In his mind, this time, this very one, this Trayvon Martin, is not going away a free man - he is black, and therefore, he is suspicious activity, one intent on committing a crime and deserving of death. He must be stopped. And true he did. 

He confronted Trayvon and he shot and killed him in cold blood while the young man was defending himself. Juror B37 told Anderson Cooper of CNN that Trayvon threw the first punch, therefore, Zimmerman must walk free. And he did walk free. We will come to that later.

Trayvon had every right to be where he was when Zimmerman confronted him - he was walking home minding his own business. Zimmerman knew that he, Zimmerman, was carrying a loaded weapon when he accosted and confronted Trayvon. Zimmerman was never a Police Officer. Besides, Zimmerman, as a private citizen, was not in a position to make a "citizen arrest" when he accosted and confronted Trayvon because Trayvon was not committing any crime. Again, he was simply minding his own business, walking along a familiar path he had every right to be at. In other words, Zimmerman had no right in law,, equity, or morals to confront Trayvon when he did, except of course that he saw a black guy - a punk who "they always allow to get away."

When Zimmerman failed to heed the Godly warning of the 911 Operator, who specifically told him not to follow Trayvon, Zimmerman had his mind made up. This punk, this time, is not getting out of here a free man. Zimmerman parked his car and walked up to Trayvon. A fight ensured, he pulled his semi-automatic weapon and fired at Trayvon, killing him instantly, and in cold blood. Just like that. 

He told the Police that he acted in self-defence, according to the articles of Florida Stand-Your-Ground-Law. The six white Floridan women jury concurred, claiming that Trayvon threw the first punch.  

Trayvon who is dead, and not in a position to tell his side of the story, or to display his bruised and battered body to the jury and the world, was found guilty and convicted of a crime he did not commit - a violent encounter he took all the necessary steps to avoid. "The man keeps following me," he told his friend.

Zimmerman told the world that he was simply defending himself under Florida Stand-Your-Ground-Law and that he was the one who cried for help. The Jury believed him and they set him free. 

From what we have heard so far from Juror B37, she was never in any mood to convict Zimmerman. She had her mind made up from the very beginning of the trial that Zimmerman would walk free. In her calculation, 'Stand Your Ground Law' or not, Trayvon, by birth and by inclination (a black man), was an aggressor, and always a potential aggressor. Proof or no proof, corroboration or no corroboration, he was the aggressor. He must die. And he died.

Under American criminal law, an aggressor cannot plead self-defence, unless the aggressor (that's the one who initiated the confrontation) successfully renounces the aggression or totalling withdraws from the aggression. Here, Zimmerman who parked his vehicle walked towards the innocent child, and started a fight did not at any time beat a retreat until he shot Trayvon to death.  

Juror B37 told Anderson Cooper of CNN that Trayvon threw the first punch. Really? Madam, were you there? She laboured disdainfully to find all the excuses in the book to empathize with Zimmerman and to justify his action - Trayvon threw the first punch, and he must die. Zimmerman went beyond the scope of his brief and defied instructions. 

As a vigilante, Zimmerman was not making any ‘citizen arrest’ when he confronted Trayvon because he was not in a position to do so – Trayvon was not committing any crime.

If race was not a factor as Juror B37 is telling the whole world, the question still is: what was Zimmerman’s reason for accosting Trayvon? Truth is being black, in the instant case, made Trayvon a suspicious activity/object. Same reason that Zimmerman defied standing order as he was trained to do. In the mind of Zimmerman, killing an unarmed black teenager is no big deal. 

Zimmerman was trained to be the "eyes and ears" of the Police and to "report any suspicious activities" accordingly. Confronting Trayvon he didn't remember all that. He accosted him and shot him in cold blood, even when the 911 Operator told him not to follow Trayvon. It is the same reason that Juror B37 could not find grace in her soul to empathize with the departing soul of Trayvon and his family. 

Race was why Juror B37 and her colleagues found no scruple concluding that Trayvon threw the first punch and deserved to die. 

Trayvon told his friend on the phone about someone trailing him and he cannot evade him. That someone is Zimmerman, who eventually came down from his car and confronted the helpless black teen, despite a standing order not to do so. 

It was all about hatred and malice. But the jurors pretended that the circumstances of the case did not present malice. In their so-called colour-blind reasoning, Zimmerman was simply doing his job the wrong way - just living his passion for hatred of people like Trayvon Martin. Punks who always get away. 

Trayvon was where he had all the rights in the world to be - walking home, minding his own business. And he died in cold blood from the fatal and unkind bullet fired by a heartless vigilante who told Sean Hannity of Fox News Network that God wants it that way. 

No. God did not want it that way, Zimmerman. God did intervene to save Trayvon and set him free when the 911 Operator told you not to follow the teenager. 

You confronted Trayvon and initiated a fight knowing full well that you had a loaded semi-automatic weapon to accomplish your goal. What were you trying to do when you parked your car and confronted Trayvon? You're not a Police Officer trying to arrest a suspect running from a crime scene.

Was Trayvon committing any crime? Did you see him running away from a crime scene? Did Trayvon pull you out from inside of your moving vehicle to start "banging your head at the sidewalk?" 

Would you have confronted him if you were not carrying a loaded weapon? Trayvon was never in a position to "bang your head at the sidewalk" - if that was the case - but for the fact that you came down from your vehicle and initiated a fight. 

What exactly were you trying to accomplish when you parked your vehicle and walked up to him? To arrest him or to throw him out of the complex? At what point did the first punch land? Was it when you were interrogating him or when you were trying to force him out of the Apartment Complex?

Jury B37 cooked up a bogus and unsubstantiated theory to set Zimmerman free - Trayvon threw the first punch. So he must die. 

From the onset, her goal was to set Zimmerman free and write a bestseller. In the end, she prevailed on other jurors to abandon facts for fiction in the hope of securing a bestseller deal, to profit financially from the gruesome killing of an unarmed Trayvon. The whole world said no to her calculated mischief. You cannot profit from the blood of a helpless soul, killed for doing nothing wrong. 

Stand-Your-Ground-Law, good or bad, was meant to protect those who are in the precarious situation that Trayvon found himself in; not a Zimmerman who was fishing for chances to unload his loaded weapon on any moving black object. Zimmerman's conduct was calculated - a deliberative malicious act, without question. 

Now, only Zimmerman can say exactly what went wrong and why he discharged his weapon on an innocent Trayvon. Juror B37 and her unwilling colleagues did not take into account how Zimmerman instigated the confrontation. It came up to be about the first punch. 

At this juncture, what is not contentious is the fact that Zimmerman does murder sleep and he shall sleep no more. The blood and the bleeding heart of Trayvon are on his head. The smile that was on his face the very moment the jury announced that he, Zimmerman, did not commit any crime is going to be his last public smile. Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. 

We cannot stop being black. We are created black and we are proud of our blackness. At this moment we have every right to defend ourselves by any means necessary and to stop the like of Zimmerman who thinks and believes that being black is a suspicious activity. Enough is enough. 

To be continued -