Did I abandon Nigeria?

Meeting the tribe

In my office it would appear that it is now open season for contractor/consultant recruitment.

I cannot help but notice that I am no more as conspicuous as I used to be in the computer department, there are a few more deeply tanned and very busy men, one of whom is Nigerian.

Living in the Netherlands, there seems to be this unspoken acknowledgement rule where other people of African ethnicity establish acquaintance, as if, we are few, all of us should band together as brothers.

I would not know if Nigerians are supposed to have a kind of look or complexion, but I have somehow never failed to identify Nigerians in the Netherlands or when I have been on one of my jaunts.

My tea got cold

So, I was accosted as I stepped out of my office to get some tea by this consultant who wanted to have some small talk; before we had exchanged 4 sentences of conversation, I thought I had heard this tale before.

High-flying consultant living in Europe for many years, happy with earning lots of money but dissatisfied with the fact that he does not earn as much as our contemporaries who seem to be minting money in Nigeria and spending it like an indispensable resource in Europe.

For that reason alone, we are not successful; rather we are suffering and should return to Nigeria forthwith to really make money.

Forget social justice

Fine point, but I do not like the situation where despite ones wealth there is an underclass of the deprived, the disenfranchised, the desperate and the disadvantaged - I was then thinking of the servant of the President of Nigeria in his pantry of a room with mattress on the floor and no chair in sight.

My colleague assured me that the circles in which I would move in Nigeria would completely isolate me from that underclass, I would hardly see them.

I would suppose that is why there would be no socio-economic development to affect the lives of ordinary Nigerians, they are invisible to the people in positions to exercise probity, social justice and bring the kind of thinking and ability to implement radical change in Nigeria.

Show them your money

If I took anything away from that conversation that left me down-hearted, unimpressed and almost disillusioned, it was the overwhelming hedonistic and materialism complex that informed everything he was doing; it is all about money, how to get more, how to show off, how to give bigger gifts and how to impress everyone else with magnanimity.

It was not about how to help people but how to make people realize that you have arrived and hence you should not be trifled with; it went has far as the comparison with the lady kicking you out of the house in Europe when the opposite and more chauvinistic case in Nigeria is to kick her out, destitute.

Yes, people living in Europe can think like that.

Abandoning my country

This takes me to a comment placed by a son of the President of Nigeria who has regaled the Internet community with pictures of servants and chiefs who congregate in the court of his father, the juxtaposition of opulence and penury makes uncomfortable viewing for my Western eyes.

He said, "I like how Naija (jargon for Nigeria) people who have abandoned their country like you carry on as if they are more Naija than anyone else."

For some, it is a very hurtful comment to make, but I think I did abandon Nigeria for reasons the President's son might have a rosy picture of.

The Nigeria I remember, where my middle-class parents lived almost like aristocracy is stuck in the 1970s. This young man's father has ruled the country for 11½ years of the 46½ years of Nigerian independence.

No blame no shame

The question is why anyone would abandon their country and if this has any bearing on the maladministration, incompetence, corruption, injustices and nepotism in the current and previous administrations?

This man (the current President) was Head of State, 30 years ago - yes, a generation ago - he ushered in a civilian regime in 1979 that plundered the nation which lead to another 16 years of atrocious military excess before an ex-military man - same person - in civilian clothes took over again and probably is repeating the cycle he initiated just a generation ago.

Umaru Musa Yar' Adua in 2007 is just about the same pair of safe pair of hands that Alhaji Shehu Shagari was in 1979, without reproach, honest but a weak figurehead over a garrulous bunch of looting and thieving miscreants who milked the country dry with impunity.

Nigeria in abandon

I probably did abandon my country because people who were to make opportunity meritorious, infrastructure functional, security inconsequential and democracy meaningful - the basic social justice bread-and-butter issues that give rise to a great nation - have squandered it all on their hedonistic ambitions and self enrichment without concern for the people they lead.

Those same people like a recurring nightmare are still in power as they were 30 years ago and they have not made the country we abandoned any easier to return to.

Yes, we feel more Naija than anyone else because the scales have been removed from our eyes to see that way their forebears have mortgaged Nigeria to interests inimical to her progress.

Newspapers - Is it still my country?

Internet Renewal Pains

I was having a chat to one of my colleagues after having renewed my subscription to The Economist over the phone. I could have easily done this over the Internet but it appears this service had been out-sourced as capitalists do to some outfit that made the job of renewal quite fraught, all sorts of errors that would make Einstein rethink the Theory of Relativity.

I then wrote to the Economist's Subscription office complaining about the problem and rather than resolve it and consequently invite me to use the service again, they automatically extended my subscription for a year without checking if that was what I wanted to do.

In fact, I was fed up of the yearly routine that I had decided to go for the 2-year deal; a second email upbraided them first and then requested an amendment to the subscription details, this elicited an apology, but I still had to arrange to pay for the deal.

Movable times

When I called at 09:10 yesterday morning, the call centre should have been running for at least 10 minutes in the UK, but I got the overnight message still running on the outgoing message system, I also realised that international calls were still barred on my home phone as a result of Bacchus's visit in March.

Anyway, my colleague was of the opinion that the Economist was quite left-leaning, though I can understand that they have attacked a few right-leaning people not so much for being right-wing but for their actions which could be inimical to progress and justice in their countries - Berlusconi and the twin brothers of Polish politics come to mind.

It was however interesting to note that I read the weekly Economist which my colleague considered left-leaning and read The Daily Telegraph which is quite conservative in its copy and opinion.

What do you read?

It reminded me of an analysis of readers of British newspapers in the 1980s as opined in the political satire drama of that time called Yes, Prime Minister.

In the A Conflict of Interest episode, the Prime Minister had this to say of the papers. "Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers: The Times is read by the people who run the country. The Daily Mirror is read by the people who think they run the country.

The Guardian is read by the people who think they ought to run the country. The Morning Star is read by the people who think the country ought to be run by another country. The Independent is read by people who don't know who runs the country but are sure they're doing it wrong.

The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country. The Financial Times is read by the people who own the country. The Daily Express is read by the people who think the country ought to be run as it used to be run. The Daily Telegraph is read by the people who still think it is their country". And The Sun's readers don't care who runs the country providing she has big tits.

Hmmm, I do wonder if this still fetches true 20 years on, mind you, we did not have the Internet then.

Turkey belongs outside Europe for now

Is this a democracy?

I have been watching events in Turkey lately and I think we can now conclude that it does not belong in Europe, it is best kept at the periphery of almost-European but never attaining the stature of a truly free society with European values.

Turkey is presumably a democratic country where a party with Islamic leanings holds the majority in parliament having been voted in by the people of Turkey.

The parliament exercises the right to elect a president who would in most cases be a member of the ruling party.

However, there is a fearful and uncomfortable undemocratic situation enveloping the country as certain vocal elements in the country try to derail the process in the name of keeping Turkey in its strict and suffocating secularist model.

It would make one wonder what the Turkish democracy is for and what the people of Turkey have required if the party they have voted into power cannot then exercise prerogative and privilege because some sections of society suspect the ruling party would de-secularise the country.

Protectors of democracy

Whilst the ruling party has had certain Islamist policies it has maintained if not protected the secularism of Turkey regardless of the fact that the wives of the ruling elite wear scarves.

This unholy alliance of undemocratic forces which now includes the opposition parties, the wayward army and even the judiciary have thwarted every attempt to present a viable candidate for the presidency from the ruling party such that the Prime Minister has now called for elections to be held on the 24^th of June.

Evidently, it appears the Islamic party is keen on protecting the democratic credentials of Turkey whilst the opposition is keen on protecting the secularism of Turkey regardless of the harm it does to democracy.

Between democracy and the secularist dogma, democracy should signify in the most certain terms what the people want; even if it includes ditching the secularist millstone.

The power of democracy

It would be interesting to see the result of this election especially if the Islamist party is returned to power.

The pragmatism of the Islamist party is commendable; they have also suggested that the president be popularly elected by the people of Turkey.

In fact, one can say that only the Islamic party is able to make Turkey a European entity and without them, Turkey would continue to be a proudly backward-looking country with a weighty heritage of being hamstrung to secularism when in fact it is the fear of religion that has kept them from respecting the very basic tenets of popular suffrage and democracy.

For now, Turkey belongs outside Europe, way outside Europe for the foreseeable future.

References

Turkey PM condemns court ruling

Court ruling deepens crisis in Turkey

Lies - Between human frailty and the law

Lying to protect - the unrecognised dilemma

Being economical with the truth or lying is something too many human beings do for one reason or another - many do think they can get away with it, but when they get caught it is never a good end result.

In the best of situations, the truth - honesty being the best policy - can come with some pain but your integrity, honour and respect is maintained, in the long run there might even be a reward.

When it comes to great men with much to protect, a reputation, a stake, a relationship or some circumstance, much as the luxury of being an observer makes one entreat the principal to come clean and be over with it, there are some extenuating circumstances that might prevent them for speaking the truth.

Sometimes, there is conflict, when dealing with the law; the truth is expected regardless of the situation, but when the issue touches on the very personal which could bring shame - the human dimension is lost whilst they who have never sinned rile the principal to derision.

This is no advocacy for lying, but put yourself in these two men's shoes.

Truth in a dress

Just about 10 years ago, a man of great importance in a long-term relationship coming to 20 years had been involved in some infidelity with an intern in his office. This improper relationship became the means by which he was assailed by his political enemies when he was asked if he had any sexual liaisons with the intern.

Now, an improper sexual relationship is not something you go and tell your wife like you just made a fantastic deal, in fact, the likelihood for any man caught in that kind of situation would be to completely deny that situation till the accuser can produce incontrovertible evidence, at which point, disgrace, dishonour and disdain are heaped on the principal as he apologises for a lying.

In this case, it was the sperm stains on the dress that caught him out, one could almost say that it as all planted to ensure that he was caught in a desperate situation. The man was Bill Clinton, the lady Monica Lewinsky and prosecutor Kenneth Stark - Mr. Clinton is the man making history, the other two who sought to bring him down do not have footnotes on those esteemed pages.

Mr. Clinton definitely should not have lied but if anyone asked you in his circumstances about an improper sexual liaison would have owned up in public?

Where did you meet?

More recently, a well-respected businessman had a relationship with a young Canadian that lasted four years. There is no doubt that the young man would have in that time grown accustomed to the style and status of his amazingly well-to-do spouse.

When the relationship ended, it would appear the wealthy businessman cut his ex-lover adrift, but having not made sufficient contingency for the welfare of his "discard", the young man in dire straits after entreaties to his ex-lover decided to monetarise the information about this relationship by selling his story to the tabloids.

Now, there was nothing improper about the relationship though it was homosexual and private, the business man being a closet gay man.

What amazes me about this whole situation is how the businessman's support infrastructure which usually is quite solid and disciplined allowed the situation to degenerate into that what we have now.

In trying to prevent the young man from selling the story, the businessman went to court and the question about where they met arose. Obviously, any respectable person would like to say they met their partner in some romantic setting; it has only become socially acceptable to say you met on some online dating site.

The businessman with a career and reputation to protect said he met the young man in Battersea - probably a gay cruising area - innocuous, but plausible, however, the young man who had nothing to lose said different; he met the businessman on a gay escort website.

Oops! Someone has been caught in a lie; the businessman on court documents - his undoing and this disgrace as this has now been exposed - a resignation with a loss of probably £20 million in payments where probably £1 million in a blackmail payment might just have kept this under wraps for another few years.

The businessman is Lord Browne who resigned as the Group CEO of BP yesterday, the young escort, Jeff Chevalier - time will tell how history would play this out. Lord Browne however could face perjury charges.

If asked and indeed you met your partner as a Pretty Woman, gigolo, on an escort website or some place of ill repute tell anyone that is where you met?

The law deals stridently with perjury, however, there has to be mitigating circumstances when it comes to what might be lies of passion.

No moaning for Moaning-ho

Decided on penalties

I guess the best thing is to use some of the mature football parlance from Chxta's commentaries.

The first UEFA Champions League semi-final was decided a few minutes ago between Liverpool and ¢h€£$k¥ (Chelsea) on penalties.

Now, the ¢h€£$k¥ coach Jose Moaning-ho (Mourinho) is a complete windup merchant, his statements and commentary are controversial, mischievous and sometimes scandalous.

The last couple of weeks he has been moaning about Manchester United always winning penalties for football infringements and those that should favour ¢h€£$k¥ are overlooked, ignored or dismissed by referees.

Somehow, the FA in the person of the headmaster of football must be fed up of putting Moaning-ho in detention for his windups and outbursts.

Really decided on penalties

So, today, the match ends in a 1-1 aggregate score and after extra time ¢h€£$k¥ have 5 penalties offered to them without dispute or rancour. Moaning-ho chooses 5 of his best available players and only on scores in 3 attempts as Liverpool puts through 4.

Now, I am not one to kick a man when he is down, but Moaning-ho is a man ripe for more than a kicking, I cannot imagine the number of people who would have rejoiced at the drubbing of ¢h€£$k¥ - one out of possible 4 trophies is out, they are now level pegging with Manchester United who are expected to make it to the final against Liverpool in Athens in a few weeks time.

As for Moaning-ho, he would not know when to shut up even if you had a marrow jammed into his gob and egg on his face - he cries foul about penalties and when he gets the penalties, he flunks the whole thing.

Did I notice the Dutch being the winners for Liverpool (Zenden & Kuijt) and the losers for ¢h€£$k¥ (Robben)?

Homosexuality, Achievement and poor relationships

The end of an era

I once worked for British Petroleum, as a contractor, in fact, I was invited back three times to work on a number of projects which were interesting, challenging and exciting in the late 90s.

One of the things I admired about BP was its strong IT centre, when decisions were made about the direction of IT for the global enterprise, they were doggedly followed through, I am yet to see an organisation where this kind of direction exists with excellence.

John Browne

John Browne had just been appointed the CEO and he was a mere Mr. then, and in 12 years he built the BP organisation with ambitious acquisitions, strategic partnerships and inspired leadership.

Unfortunately, the last 2 years at the helm of BP have not been the best for Lord Browne, accidents and mishaps in the United States began to gnaw into the great achievements of a well-respected global business leader.

Lord Browne at 59 is unmarried and there is no doubt that many would have wondered why, we all have lives we would like to keep secret and he was set to leave BP in July 2007.

What a shame

However, he has had to resign with immediate effect for having been economical with the actualité about a relationship with another man who falling on hard times decided to sell his story to a tabloid, which Lord Browne tried to prevent being published and failed.

Lord Browne, we can say is one of the many successful businessmen who have decided not to wear their sexuality on their sleeves, I am sure many knew but once the principal conducts themselves with all decorum, polite society is quite accepting of that situation.

The problem arises when a partnership or relationship exists between a very successful person and a less successful mate, we have seen many occasions where these never-do-well partners decide to cash in on the relationship when it breaks up hoping either to blackmail the principal or selling the story as salacious details to the tabloids.

Not a gay day at all

It is a shame that something so private can become so public and even threaten to end a very illustrious career.

Does a successful homosexual now have to decide between career and love?

How does one find a partnership where the old values of discretion, trustworthiness and honour trump any offer of filthy lucre?

Would being a closet homosexual preclude one from greater career opportunities if they are found out?

The last question is important because Lord Browne resigned so as not to cause any embarrassment to BP, implying a private homosexual life made public can be an embarrassment.

Do you talk to your spouse about work?

To crown it all, the cad Jeff Chevalier who seems to have been benefited from Lord Browne's influence as a subject of possible nepotism within BP said Lord Browne discussed confidential stuff with him - well, I would think people do discuss everything that happens in their lives even the most secret stuff at work with their spouses, regardless of if the spouse is heterosexual or homosexual - help me here - I am single.

The loss

Hopefully, this loss would not be a greater loss than that of a £5 million bonus and a possible £20 million share deal, Lord Browne is no poor urchin but he loses this because he had an unfortunate homosexual relationship with a man behind his station, class and stature - strangely, these archaic terms still matter if you are to keep your reputation, legacy and achievements from ignominy.

I am quite saddened that a 41-year career with BP ends in this way, but the great man in Lord Browne to see this issue through, one would not expect him to do anything silly, he would go on to greater heights and we all know that BP would not have been the name and brand it is today with the inspired leadership and visionary direction of Lord John Browne - Baron Browne of Madingley.

Food Science 101 - Additives

Advisory: You need a strong constitution to read through this, if you are fussy about food, you might lose other things you like from your food list. Certain depictions of food are completely unpalatable.

Mandatory extras on the menu

I felt a bit last yesterday after walking a few kilometres one end of the Tiergarten to the other end where my hotel is.

At the point, I could not be bothered with going out to eat so I picked up the room service folder and looked to see what would sate my appetite.

A number of meals looked tasty enough, but I got a bit worried about all the superscript numbers that appeared as suffixes at the end of each menu item.

Not one meal had less that 4 of those suffixes, so I looked for the legend and this is what I read.

Food science

Colouring or pigmentation - indicating natural colours no more make food pleasant to the eye.

Preservative - in fact, that is French for condom, jokes aside, we might just be keeping food in formaldehyde, this is getting crazy, it is supposed to be freshly cooked, between kitchen and my room it should not get spoilt. But then, it probably had to be preserved before it was used and then presented as freshly prepared food.

Anti Oxidation additives - this is an area of food chemistry I am not familiar with, the first part being the prevention of rancidity in certain foods and then the other about the benefits of antioxidants in foods, preferably from natural sources.

Flavour enhancer - Is this because the food is not entirely made of what they purport it is made from? For instance many fruit juices of different flavours are usually bulked up with cheaper to produce apple juice which could be up to 80% liquid content.

Maybe human beings have evolved to a state where their tongues no more function as efficiently as they should - you tell me.

Blackener - Thankfully, this not in any of the meals, but it was in the legend. I am sure food can easily be blackened by burning it - why on God's earth would anyone need blackener in food apart from when you are eating squids in squid-ink?

Phosphate - Usually a constituent of fertilizer, I am not sure this is about helping reproductive organs, this was also absent from the listed meals.

Thickness enhancer - You tell me why chicken, fruits, beef or lamb would need this.

There is a whole industry selling the mirage of good food by colouring, flavouring and packing, eventually, we would be able to give cardboard the colour of beef, the flavouring of chicken and the consistency of pork and we may never go hungry any more.

I felt better going to bed on an empty stomach, but German menus by law do have to display all additives put in food, read the menu and leave out the superscripts is the received wisdom on this matter.