Tag: Colonialism

Change, Politics

Who Made It Anathema to Move On?

Jilomes

The only time a competitive swimmer can benefit from having a weight attached is during training when strength is being enhanced. Beyond that time, any swimmer who chooses to compete with a weight attached, except where the competitors are neonates, would have to be content with negotiating the terms for the last place, or if the weight were weighty enough, risk injury or even drowning. As physicists would say, such person would have a lot of displaced water from flapping arms but hardly any directional displacement. This seems to be the condition of the African community.

Continue reading “Who Made It Anathema to Move On?” →
Politics, Randoms

Ruminations: A United Kingdom

Jilomes

“We do foreign assistance for altruistic reasons, certainly for humanitarian reasons, of course. But the main reason we do foreign assistance is we do it in the American national interest”.

—Roger Wicker, American Politician

The quote above, whilst very American, could be attributed to a long array of countries across the globe. Replacing “American” with “British”, “Russian”, “Chinese”, “Iranian”, or “South African” would still maintain the spirit of the quote. I chose this quote to highlight that a country’s actions or inactions with respect to events in another country are usually powered by national interests and not some idealistic morals.  Continue reading “Ruminations: A United Kingdom” →

Change, Politics

Shackles of Independence

Jilomes

Two centuries ago, Brigham Young said that “True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what’s right.” Those words are as true as the knowledge that the earth is spherical. Whereas some persons view independence as being free to do whatever they like however they like, such persons have a myopic view that points to immaturity. When one is truly independent is when one comes to appreciate that independence implies a responsibility to do the right thing. It is the Nigerian state’s inability to understand this logic that has kept it in shackles for fifty-six years. Continue reading “Shackles of Independence” →

Politics

All Hail the “New” Republic

Jilomes

In a continent richly blessed with a repertoire of military dictatorships, past and present, Africans are used to hearing military decrees announced by sit-tight leaders, preceded by a lengthy list of military titles. This custom has now transcended the military domain, as pseudo-democratic rulers have made the issuance of decrees a pastime. One of such leaders has just given the world its newest Islamic Republic. Continue reading “All Hail the “New” Republic” →