We've moved

... to this new location

Is the Politics & Economics of Climate Change designed against Africa's growth?

On the surface, this looks like another of those stories on Africa's unending political logjams, but the second half of this video delivers more than just that.

If you want a glimpse into an African perspective on the Politics & Economics of Climate Change as it affects Africa, then watch this video

The media inquest into a bungled bid

(l-r) Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister & Yakubu Gowon, Abuja 2014 Bid Chairman

As if jolted by the 4 pages that Glasgow's sundayherald devoted to a fly-on-the-wall account on how Glasgow won and Abuja lost the bid to win the 2014 games, the Nigerian Weekend Papers have jumped on the band wagon and its not looking good for Gowon's bid committee.

Yesterday's Abuja Leadership Newspaper was not sparing in all of its condemnations, so much that it seemed that nothing good came out of the whole experience. If the truth must be told, this blog is a child of this whole episode ( more on that in the days ahead)

In a possible bid not to be undone, Lagos' Sunday Sun joined in with an article today. The following excerpts from that article are useful in situating these various inquests in a broad and relevant context.

It was asserted that a bid, directly following the New Delhi 2010, would be thoroughly scrutinized, because India made lots of promises to get the rights, but recently, the Commonwealth Games’ federation executives have been spending most of their precious time in India to ensure that the country meets the deadline. As a result, the executives, who are obviously not impressed with the level of work in India, would want a city that already boast of world-class facilities to host the 2014 event.Based on this, Sunday Sunsport gathered that the Commonwealth executives adviced Nigeria to apply for the 2018 edition of the Games when it is presumed that the country would be really prepared to host the big event.

The authors also had this to say:

...the (CGF) executives were said not to be comfortable with the exclusion of athletes from the Nigeria’s Bid Committee. The Gen. Gowon-led committee were seen as being too political, since Nigerian athletes were never consulted or rarely involved in the bid process, rather, they only appeared at events as guests.Athletes were never involved in the bid’s book writing phase. They were never involved in the planning stages regarding the needed facilities, the games’ village or in the overall games’ plans.Other members of the commonwealth family questioned the fact that Nigeria’s bid was not athletes-centred, a notion they think smacks of ulterior business motives.

This failed bid also brought to the fore Nigeria's sense of an ironic mixture of naivete & bragaddocio in diplomatic relations especially within Africa which we have always claimed as the 'centerpiece of our foreign policy'. There is a need to revisit that well worn cliche.

The most recent evidence of Nigeria's 'naive braggadocio' was revealed in the closing paragraph the Sun's article.

Indeed, Nigeria was largely expected to get all the 18 votes from Africa, but from the results, some African delegates clearly cast their votes for Glasgow.Sunday Sunsport’s source revealed that most of the delegates from Africa were still bitter with the way Nigeria hosted the 2003 All Africa Games, and so, felt it was pay back time for Nigeria.The delegates lamented that the organisation in Abuja 2003 was abysmal. For that reason also, Nigeria failed to get all the 18 votes from Africa.

WE MUST LEARN LESSONS FROM OUR FORAYS ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE, AND TAKE THOSE LESSONS TO HEART FOR FUTURE USE

This inquest is by no means over yet!

(The photo appears courtesy of the BBC Website)

Should Nigeria Support AfriCom?

(l-r) Jendayi Frazer, John Negroponte, Umaru Yar A'dua

The title of this post comes from an email recieved today from a group of Africans in the Diaspora.

My answer to that email was - Does Nigeria have a choice?
The title of the AFP news item below gives it all away. It doesn't say US consults with Nigeria...Mr Negroponte appears to have come to Abuja to INFORM us of a Fait Accompli.We didn't seem to have much of a choice that to accept it, or maybe its that the politicians and policymakers will not exercise choice.Whichever one it is, it is obvious that their public statements appear to be at variance fromtheir action on this issue. And this is givng America all the room they want to steamroll ahead with this plan of theirs.It's going to be interesting!!


ABUJA, Nov 13 (AFP) US informs Nigeria of plan to set up military command in Africa US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte Tuesday outlined his country's plan to set up AFRICOM, a military command in Africa, saying it was in line with America's defence policy.
"It's not unusual for the US to have regional military commands. We have regional military commands in various parts of the world," Negroponte told reporters at the end of his visit to Nigeria.
The US government announced early in the year that the Defence Department was creating a US Africa Command headquarters to coordinate all American military and security interests throughout the continent.
The US military involvement in Africa has been shared among the US European Command, the US Central Command and the US Pacific Command, and AFRICOM is, for the moment, based in Germany, while a continental location is evisaged in the longer term.
"We will like to eventually situate offices of AFRICOM in an African country. The process of selecting that country is ongoing and we certainly will not do it anywhere that does not welcome the presence of the US military command," the top envoy said.
Negroponte said his country would help Nigeria stamp out criminality in the oil-rich but volatile Niger Delta where more than 200 foreigners have been taken hostage since January 2006.
The US envoy also held talks with Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua, top government officials, including Foreign Minister Ojo Madueke, chairman of anti-graft agency EFCC Nuhu Ribadu and representatives of the business community and civil society.
"We support Nigeria's efforts to stabilise and improve governance in the Niger Delta. I assure both the national security adviser and the defence minister that the US would do what it could to help Nigeria stamp out criminality in the Niger basin," he assured.
Negroponte said Nigeria has been an important friend and strategic partner of the United States and a leader on the African continent.
"The US is committed to sustaining a robust bilateral partnership with Nigeria which advances our mutual interests. We welcome Nigeria's leadership role in Africa," he stressed.
Negroponte also expressed the US government's support for Nigeria's ongoing reforms, increased transparency and principles of good governance.
"We applaud President Yar'Adua's commitment to strengthening the rule of law and to fighting corruption. We encourage his government to pursue vigorously electoral reform to correct the flaws revealed in last April polls," he said.
Negroponte, who is on a tour of four west African countries, has visited Ivory Coast and left Nigeria Tuesday for Burkina Faso where he will proceed to Mali.

- Photo appears ourtesy of VOA website

Why Abuja Lost Commonwealth Games

With all the effort put in by the bid committee of Yakubu Gowon & Mitchell Obi amongst others, it all came to nought this evening in Colombo when the 2014 games were awarded to Glasgow.