Nigeria: Jonathan takes Aso Rock to vacate Presidency

Nigeria of promise

Nigeria is as eventful and exciting a place as ever, especially when it comes to power, money and politics.

The big surprise was however rooted in the expectations of 2015, about who would run and for the big prize, the Presidency.

With the National Conference in full play as delegates snooze themselves through serious deliberations that has Nigeria sleepwalking into an uncertain future, more certain things exist.

Safe in the knowledge

Aso Rock survived an incursion on by insurgents along with a successful defence of the armed forces against a jailbreak close to the seat of power.

This seems to have given the President great assurances for his future and that would be wonderful news to his beloved spouse, Dame Patience who some people uncharitably think her title is of similar provenance to the roadside procurer of abortions that labels himself a doctor and consultant gynaecologist.

Then the President having successfully apportioned blame where it is due, the world overblowing Nigerian corruption, the Northern leaders exacerbating Boko Haram terrorism and much else that it would appear he is responsible for nothing, it became evident to the man to concentrate on his future.

Aso Rock, going for a song

In a deal to make the eyes water, for not running in the Presidential elections of 2015, Goodluck Jonathan has apparently agreed to receive Aso Rock, the Presidential complex, with two jets of the Presidential fleet assigned for his private use, four assistants of cabinet rank, whilst retaining the respect and graces of an ex-President along with the emoluments of retirement generously doubled to assuage the loss of office.

In essence, the new elder statesman would suddenly be catapulted into the stratosphere of eminent world leader and consequently it would put him in the front running for the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership.

A great man is born

To many of Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s detractors, this would be a most dramatic turnaround of status, standing and credibility giving Nigeria an ex-leader in the class of ex-US Presidents who have gone on to do greater things than when they were in office.

It is necessary that we have new Presidential quarters as we have over time replaced the accommodations of senior political officers with even gaudier expressions of kitsch architecture. Aso Rock needs a new Aso Villa with better isolation from the realities of Nigeria to allow new leaders concentrate on the job of leading their lives in oblivious awareness of little Nigerian lives.

It can only be said with this deal that President Jonathan has like a visionary that he always was put himself before Nigeria in a way that deserves commendation and praise we cannot find the words to express even if inebriated.

In the end, we can only say, long live Nigeria and the greatest good luck in Nigeria has surely without doubt gone to Goodluck Jonathan, the boy without shoes who has walked away without as much as a forced shoo.

Fidel Castro: At a time of his own choosing

Far from Cuba

I have not been able to convince myself that any of the policies of America towards Cuba for over 40 years have been productive, useful or effective.

Like Bette Midler’s song, Only in Miami is Cuba so far away and the Cuban-Americans there have influenced and lobbied to obtain favours and policies sometimes wholly detrimental to their homeland.

The news of Fidel Castro’s resignation might have had some people dancing in the streets, but I would observe that the man chose to go at a time of his choosing.

Age has a way of slowing people down and with Castro’s government giving Cuba one of the most developed medical healthcare delivery systems in the world he underwent intestinal surgery though the seriousness of his condition and slow recuperation of an octogenarian took him out of the public eye since July 2006.

Of rest and peace

The old man writes, “The night before, I slept than ever”, we can safely say the man has completed his journey and entering into his rest having prevailed against all the machinations of his enemies 90 miles north of his shores.

It is with interest that one notes that a piece of land which the United States leases in perpetuity from Cuba is Guantánamo Bay.

In all, the point I want to make, is, happy is the man who can decide at the time of his own choosing when he has completed his job and he can take a holiday and have a long rest been fulfilled in what he has achieved.

The only other person I know who has exercised this amazing but rare opportunity in life is Madiba Nelson Mandela, so at this point, I wish Fidel Castro a very happy, restful and peaceful retirement.

Oosterpark in the morning

Up before Eight

One ride through Oosterpark in Amsterdam East long before 8:00AM was quite an insight. I could not believe the number of senior citizens who were up and doing whilst we the younger generations were having our Saturday morning lie-ins.

In fact, my mind went back to a resident in my apartment block who always seemed to be returning from some shopping trip or activity before 8:00AM – a quite capable man even though also quite advanced in years and of very few words that acknowledged one every time we met.

I would say I have never seen him out in the normal daytime, talk less of evenings or nights, however, I do wish there is someone, somewhere who comes round to say hello.

Human-beings and human-doings

So, back to the park, my observation as I rode into the park made me decide to loiter a bit on my bike to see what it was like, because I had always cycled through in haste, never seeing, never waiting completely indifferent.

Up by the skater’s half rounds and flats, a husband and wife from the Far East, possibly ready for a golden wedding anniversary were doing their tai-chi exercises, and then on to one of the children’s play areas, one was stretching as others were exercising on the bars.

Over the pond at the park benches, 5 or 6 who might have been friends for decades were chatting away with 3 noticeably non-Caucasians, laughter broke out as one smoked away.

Further down in the mowed green grass, some travelling back-packers had camped out without any shelter, supposedly, they had spent the night outside.

Not one dog walker in sight, no noise from children, none of the youth that terrify others minding their own businesses; just an idyllic setting where the older generation have captured their piece of Amsterdam devoid of the societal morass that fills our news wires day in and day out.

Their world, our world

I would suppose these grand people of sane and hardly senile society would tarry till about 10:00AM before the sun begins to burn away the peace for the onset of chaos as insane society begins to stir up and infect the world with the madness these good people have wisely avoided by rising up like the early bird for the worm.

Looking at the situation again, these are retired people who still get up early and do things that gives value and substance to their lives in community and social settings amongst their long known peers; whereas our ideas of retirement are about slumber, sloth, loafing, sauntering, idling and lazy sun worshipping, aborting certain routines of our earlier lives and looking for new locations to emigrate to in some ideal setting, separating ourselves from the lifeblood of the community of enduring fellowship and hence quickening the steps of the grim reaper.

I think we have lots to learn from those lively, healthy, laughing and wise senior citizens who wake up each morning to see the new dawn – How to start the day and how to relax – as we bay for the setting of the sun. I like Amsterdam in the early morning at the park.

More opportunities for irrelevance abound

Between retiring and having a new lease

I bought my apartment from a couple in their 70s who in turn were purchasing a comfortable retirement apartment in Arnhem by the Dutch Rhine. Four years earlier, they had come up to Amsterdam buying this apartment whilst it was still a drawing plan, having lived in Eindhoven for 25 years.

Not many people buy a new house in their 70s, one knows of none other who has done that twice in their 70s. More so, they could easily have retired in Eindhoven and lived out their lives there having lived there for 25 years already.

The couple might have been in their 70s, but they were young, youthful, young at adventure, given to opportunity for change and getting themselves a new lease of life when many of their peers were wasting away in idle retirement.

I want to be a 70 year old who has purpose, who is relevant and can still do things people half my age do and possibly do it all better.

Early retirement

In the last two decades middle managers arranged to take early retirement at around 55, however with an average life expectancy of 75, one wonders what the next 20 years would be spent doing. Golf and travel eventually take their toll on enthusiasm, a life of leisure does not equate to being relevant apart from being useful baby-sitting grand parents.

As we have all noted with the pensions crisis in Europe, we apparently cannot afford to retire before 70. Each individual now has 70 reasons to alter the course of their lives and careers to suit working until 70.

The fight against irrelevance has never been bloodier with youth, technology, globalisation, business practise and trends leaving the unprepared behind in the land of wasted dreams.

More so, it appears those in their 20s have at least 50 years of working life ahead of them, they had better be on the right train or as certain as taxes and death, irrelevance would overtake them and consign them to the scrapheap.

Strong reasons to be reasonable

Take account of your age and have a reason for each number of years to remain relevant.

At birth, you may have no reasons for anything, but even you have to draw sharp breaths to live, to cry and survive.

At 5, you might have 5 reasons why you want that present.

At 10, you might have 5 reasons why you want to stay in this school and 5 given to you about the need to go to another.

At 15, you possibly have 15 reasons to rebel against authority and do your own thing.

At 20, there are 20 reasons to realise you are becoming independent and are taking on some responsibilities.

At 25, there are 25 reasons to succeed and excel at all costs and possibly start a family.

At 30, there are 30 reasons to wonder if you are in the right career, if your dreams are getting fulfil and the weight of responsibility is easy or stressful.

At 35, there are 35 reasons for a life-audit and the same number for where you want to be at 40.

At 40 and beyond

At 40, there are 40 reasons why do you do not want to have a mid-life crises because of what you have done at 30.

At 45, there are 45 reasons why if you are beginning to feel out of place, you have to rethink some reasons you had at 35 before you reach 50.

At 50, there are 50 reasons to be at the pinnacle of your career and the beginning of a new one of mentoring to remain relevant.

At 55, there are 55 reasons to be a grandparent and the same not to be a young parent, with great concern if you are already a great-grandparent. However, there are still 15 years before retirement, how are you doing?

At 60, there are 60 reasons to earn all the accolades working a 2-day week for as much as you earned working a 12-day week in your 30s. You should be during really well and grooming a successor. Enjoy the next 10 years or else there would be 70 reasons why you did not have the reasons for every time you had the opportunity to reason.

One probably has 38 reasons for working on the changes to remain relevant.