Thursday 30 August 2007

RE: Sending Document Home


Dear Mr. Babalola,

It is indeed embarrassing when one is abroad and has the Nigerian factor slap them i n t he face. As much as we are wont to defend the honor of our homeland, we know i n t he deep recesses of our minds where the problems lie, and in fact, we are part of the problem. By not admitting our shortcomings openly, and suggesting that fault lies elsewhere, the embarrassment is increased substantially when the truth is finally known. Sorry for your experience, but you are not alone my brother. Adisa
News --Experts list benefits of e-passport

Saturday 25 August 2007

The Triumph of the Vulture(A Short Story)


By Bonka Archie

The kingdom of Agbado lies in the central part of Africa. Dense with tropical forest and abundance of natural resources including fertile land.

During the reign of king Agbakpa, his charismatic, wisdom and hard working motivated the whole people of the kingdom to be highly efficient. For example, by making use of the abundance in fertile lands and natural resources wisely. As a result of this, the kingdom became more prosperous among other kingdoms around and beyond its territory.

With this prosperity, there came an influx of non Agbado indigenous both from the northern and the southern kingdoms beyond its territory. Mostly artisans such as blacksmiths, goldsmiths, woodcarvers, bras smiths, soothsayers e.t.c.

King Agbakpa took an advantage of this influx by taxing non Agbado indigenous higher than the Agbados, making the kingdom more prosperous. Population also increased dramatically, and with this came the negative impact of the prosperity.

The deterioration of the forest was alarming as the scarcity of natural plants for medicines began to creep into the whole kingdom including the extinction in great numbers of dead carcases - the vulture. In the case of the vulture, it was rumoured that whenever one eats cooked vulture meat this will ward off witches and wizards in harming you.

Sensing the danger his kingdom is heading towards, king Agbakpa summoned his wise men - elders, herbal priests, chiefs to his palace to discuss this fatal issues and to warn the citizens of the dangers that will befall them if they don't refrain from their attitude.

King Agbakpa's message was delivered throughout the whole kingdom holding durbars with sub chiefs and elders but this fell on deaf ears since the citizens didn't want to part with their newly found wealth which had fueled greediness.

Unfortunate for the kingdom, a plaque-like virus struck the kingdom killing people in large numbers within twenty four hours thereby leaving numbers of corpses around the kingdom. To the surprise of chief Kongi (the chief herbal priests), the vulture did not contact the virus but getting strong after observing a flock of this birds for three days .

This was the good news he delivered to King Agbakpa who immediately decreed death sentence on anyone caught killing the vultures and destroying their inhabitants. So this is how the kingdom was saved by the great vulture and remained a symbol of the kingdom forever.

Friday 24 August 2007

Sending Document or Letter Home

by Hakeem Babalola
It is quite reasonable to suppose that everyone knows the importance of a document or a letter. Although the computer has supplanted the act of sending letters to loved ones by post, sending document and other customised solutions still remain life, breath, or spirit that can never be replaced by the computer. Document is so essential that postal across the world have special delivery system which means quick and secure delivery. In turn, they charge exorbitant prices for such services.

Leading among these postal services are DHL, UPS, and EMS. DHL derives its name from the first letters of the last names of the three company founders – Dalsey, Hillblom, Lynn. It was founded in 1969 just months after the world had marvelled at Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon. The Deutshe Post world and UNICEF have launched a global partnership under the motto "We deliver help." UPS was founded in 1907 as a messenger company in the United States of America. EMS was launched by China Courier Service Corporation in 1980. Its motto: Your Satisfaction, Our Pursuit.

I have decided to produce the above short information in order to show that the aim of postal services is people’s satisfaction. It is obvious that quick delivery and safety are paramount to the success of this business. It seems to me that customers’ trust must never wane in this regard otherwise a map of alternative would be sought. Across the world, people use the services of these quick delivery system because they distrust the normal Postal Service which is slow and unsafe in some circumstances.

Here in Hungary, I normally use EMS because it seems to be the least expensive out of the three. But I have been disappointed each time. In 2004 I sent a document to my fiancee then. I was given assurance the addressee would get the document in three days. We decided to allow one day extra for unforeseen circumstances, so on the fourth day the addressee went to Shomolu Post Office to collect the document. It was not there and nobody cared to trace the location of the document, which she needed the following day. EMS Hungary apologised and even ready to compensate us but only if its Nigerian counterpart would forward the details. Till today my people never forwarded the details.

If I had option, I would have stopped using EMS. But since DHL and UPS are twice as expensive, I am forced to stuck with its shortcomings. However, this time around I must find out where the problem lies. I must know which branch of the EMS is slow and unreliable: Nigeria or Hungary. Before I embarked on this investigation, my wife had already prejudged the issue. She knew who the culprit would eventually be and she didn’t hide her strong views.

So on August 15 I sent a document to Lagos, Nigeria from Budapest, Hungary. The forwarding fee costs 8840 HUF (47 US dollars), seven times normal postal charge. As usual, I was assured the addressee would receive the document in three days. I winked and asked, "What if it’s more than three days?"
"Then you must call our customer service".

To cut the long story short, the addressee did not receive the document in three days as promised. I was not furious for I knew it was impossible to deliver it in three days, after all, it was not the first time. But as mentioned earlier, I was determined to know why they always chew three days instead of eight or 9 days which is the usual delivery time to the addressee in Nigeria.

Meanwhile we had asked my mother-in-law to send a document from Nigeria by the same EMS. She was told the addressee would receive it in three days. Behold we received it in three days. We were as happy as we were surprised. EMS staff in Nigeria must be apt at their job than their Hungarian counterparts, I challenged my wife who had thought otherwise. See, EMS staff in Nigeria promised three days and it’s three days. I was really proud. I wanted to tell the world. But thank God I didn’t for I would have made an ass of myself.

This is the fact of the situation. The document we sent from Hungary on August 15 actually reached Shomolu Post Office, Lagos, Nigeria on August 18. Exactly three days as promised by EMS staff in Hungary. However, the EMS staff in Nigeria did not contact the addressee until August 23 – five days after. I was ashamed to know eventually that the problem does not lie with the Hungarian EMS but with the Nigerian EMS. How could I vouch for my people.

African Woman Sets Herself on Fire to Protest Racism


By Real Rap Talk

The horrifying sight which traumatized shoppers and office workers in the centre of Luxembourg City last week has now been labelled as a protest against racism. The Belgian woman of Congolese origin who set herself alight in the middle of Place d’Armes told witnesses that she was doing it to protest against racism, moments before she carried out the desperate act which has left her in hospital fighting for her life.

Maggy Delvaux-Mufu, a mother of three in her forties, alerted several national newspapers late on Tuesday morning last week that she would be burning herself alive on place des Martyrs at 12.45 am, before setting out accompanied by her husband to walk through the centre of town to her macabre rendezvous. The police were alerted and officers were deployed to the Rousegärtchen.

But the w
oman changed her plan when she came across a group of journalists gathered to cover an event organised by the ‘Mouvement écologique’ on Place d’Armes, opposite the Cercle municipal. She soaked herself in petrol before confronting the members of the press, announcing that she was about to sacrifice her life to protest against racism. Moments later, she struck a match, turning herself into a human torch in front of hundreds of people.

Delvaux-Mufu’s husband and passers-by jumped on the burning body, attempting to stifle the flames with coats and jackets. The scene made several people feel unwell and many witnesses who filled the square at lunchtime were traumatised by the woman’s shrieking screams of unimaginable pain. The flames were already extinguished when police, rescue services and the fire brigade arrived at the scene. One person is reported to have vomited after seeing the woman being transported into an ambulance. The events in Place d’Armes have also started a controversy regarding the authorities’ lack of psychological support for witnesses.

Delvaux-Mufu was taken to the Bon Secours hospital in Metz, where she is being treated in a specialised ward for burns and is fighting for her life. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa visited the woman and her family at the hospital last week.

RTL television was the first to run a news flash about the incident on its website on Tuesday afternoon last week. 352 reported the bulletin in its news in brief section, shortly before going to print. Events preceding the incident only came to light later on in the week.

The 42-year-old Belgian citizen and her husband had been facing financial difficulties. They had recently indebted themselves by buying a Citroën garage in Oberwampach, before realising they were missing the documents that would allow them to set up a business. Delvaux-Mufu wrote a letter to Le Jeudi recounting her story of bureaucratic difficulties and economic despair. “I’m against all forms of violence, but day after day, my family and I have to endure moral violence, discrimination, insults and much more from Mr Juncker’s administration”, she said in the letter published last week.

Money problems had driven the woman to desperately plead her case at the Prime minister’s office early on the same day of the incident. Her threat to burn herself alive on Place des Martyrs after being turned away by the authorities caused government officials to contact the police. A city-wide search was organised, but nobody could foresee the woman would change her plans."

Wednesday 22 August 2007

Re: Fekete Pákó: Symbol and Victim of Media Hatred for Africans in Hungary

The writer of this rejoinder pleads for anonymity

Well, where should I start? Firstly, I am glad and grateful for encouraging me to express my opinion, meaning you are open-minded and not pompous which is a common journalist disease.

I would like to tell you that your article has some factual mistakes perhaps due to lack of correct information. One fact is that "Hungarian media" and "most Hungarian journalists" do not care about Fekete Pákó to the smallest extend at all. What you refer to as Hungarian media should be referred to as Hungarian gossip media (tabloids and commercial TVs).

If you write Pákó in the Google, you will not see a link from Népszabadság or Magyar Nemzet or hvg or any significant, traditional newspaper or magazine, but only tabloids. No serious Hungarian writer would go and question Pákó on African lifestyle, on what they eat and so on. On the other hand, you are right about those journalists that do use Pákó as an interview subject; but in fact, as we both know, that is the way – though disgusting. The tabloid writers and RTL reporters work in this manner from the world go. That is not typical Hungarian at all; it is typical tabloid and gossip show and paparazzi etc.

Yes, the low life folks that greedily chew on sex life of Pákó and on what flesh Africans eat might declare him to be the most popular African in Hungary, perhaps only for them.

Moreover, Pákó does not play any Hungarian folklore. His style has nothing to do with Hungarian folklore, which has about 500 year’s tradition. It is not played with synthesizer and not sung with incorrect pronunciation and not performed with glittering jeans and western cowboy boots; does not contain the songs he sings. His style is called "Lakodalmas rock" which is of course not rock, but a genre arose in the late 80's by small bands playing at weddings.

I have the impression that Pákó is painting a false picture of Hungarian journalists. Meanwhile I wish those Nigerians that display and symbolize African values, like Tunde for example, would not be going to Fábri show to tell the showman that "in Africa, you can have four wives and stuff like that. Instead they should air their views in serious media so they will be correctly portrayed to the Hungarian public.

On the symbolism of Pákó, I think that Pákó could not be a symbol of anything in Hungary unless the symbol of silliness, to be polite. Did you see how he was "inaugurated" to be Hungarian? www.youtube.com pákó magyarrá avatása - totally ridiculed. Also can be seen in youtube, he made such a fool of himself in legyen ön is milliomos, with his performance. Honestly, sometimes I feel that I am more African than some of you guys. I am joking of course, but on the serious side, how could a former university student - even if being a drop-out - not know about Mir Space station and about what countries are in the continent?

And such person should be an icon? No. Neither do I think he is a victim. Once you decide you want to be a tabloid star, with common sense, you should expect silly provocative questions but you are expected to handle them well. Definitely not by saying yes, we eat human flesh. So I think comparing Pákó with corrupt African politicians in your article is a bit "lame". Those politicians are endlessly evil; Pákó is not evil but only stupid.

Well we can not say whether or not Hungarians like him, since no one ever made a public opinion poll about this. Smiling and admiring him on the street might be a common reflex of "wow-I-am-seeing-a-celebrity". However, all I can say is that he cannot be taken seriously with this genre by educated people. Most likely, he is not popular amongst those. You see, it is always more people going for the low quality and drink cheap pálinka than a bottle of szeremley wine. That does not mean that pálinka is better. Meanwhile, no harm meant at all for Pákó. At least I was happy to see that he apologized in the naija event.

Finally, I hope Pákó will eventually get more serious, and I also pity him for not having found a way to introduce his authentic musical culture instead of the "dadidedadidi" and so on. But if it is good for him, it is fine with me.

This rejoinder is a chat with the author who simply wants to remain anonymous. I grant the request because the submission provides some fact I believe the readers should know...Hakeem

Tuesday 21 August 2007

Fekete Pákó: Symbol and Victim of Media Hatred for Africans in Hungary




Fekete Pákó and audience; with fiancee; with a dancer; in a bull game



By Hakeem Babalola


The Hungarian tabloids knew their mission from the moment they discovered and created Fekete Pákó. A great deal of media hype has surrounded the making of this African till today. Fekete Pákó is what the local media circus needs to placate the Africans as human eaters, polygamous, and perhaps dummies. Hungarian tabloids need a figure, an African to generate intense media interest. They found the figure in Fekete Pákó.

Perhaps the above observation explains why the Hungarian tabloids could hardly do without our brother who seems to to be the vehicle by which they ride to roughshod Africans in Hungary. Hungarian media is so obsessed with him that unless he was present at an event organised by Nigerians, the media would not cover it. Such approach to news reporting further shows that certain segments of Hungarian media is biased in the portrayal of Africans in Hungary.

Although a newspaper or magazine or radio or television has the right to define what is newsworthy, at least, Hungarian media should have searched for an African whose view is different from Fekete Pákó's. This is highly necessary as to preserve the integrity of the profession that chew on fairness and balance. Surely it is an open secret that the news media are interested only in bad news. To come clean, I am of the opinion that Fekete Pákó should not be the only African to delight them, relating to African affairs.

It is apparent that Hungarian media is not ready to search for Africans who could match them word for word, even in Hungarian Language. Most Hungarian journalists are not interested in seeking knowledge about Africa from Africans in Hungary who are knowledgeable and competent to speak about African politics, culture and social life. Rather they need African man or woman who does not speak Hungarian well; or is desperate for publicity; who is ready to accept sarcastic jokes about his or her continent and country.

No, Hungarian media does not need a Gibril Deen or a Olu Owolabi or a Gasper Mtenga or a Peter Ihaza or a John Sessi, or a Tunde Komolafe or a Sammie Adetiloye to speak about Africa. Of course it suits their agenda to use someone who is somehow naive and who could easily be hoodwinked – to symbolize Africans as nonentity. A typical example is the continuous referring to Fekete Pákó as Nigerian singer. I think the appropriate phrase should be Nigerian born Hungarian folklore singer.

Of course they know the difference but most Hungarian journalists would rather choose the one closer to their innate ambition. Perhaps this is the main reason they often exaggerate whatever comes out of this Nigerian who says he is turning over a new leaf. Headlines such as "Pákó Fekete Officially Crowned Dumbest Hungarian" and "Cleb Dish: Szulak Stalked by "Cannibal" Pákó" is nothing but the kind of sensational misrepresentation typical of the tabloids. Blowing news out of proportion is their image.

Although Fekete Pákó, who has Hungarian golden platinum with 3 CDs should share the blame, I want to believe him when he says: "They asked me, do we really eat human flesh? I thought it was a joking question. They hounded me until I told them if you say we eat human flesh, yes just leave me alone. I just want to finish this question. I am Yoruba. Nobody eats flesh. Now I know that whatever you say in the newspaper, the media will exaggerate it. I speak for myself and not for Nigeria or Africa. I am surprised Nigerians turned against me because of this."

But should we blame the media? I am going to dodge this question simply because media publicity is a double edged sword. It can make or mar an individual, especially those who crave for media attention. However, it seems to me that this kind of approach by western media against Africans is a continuous trend all over the world. That Africa means poverty, disease, lazy, and full of unintelligent people pervades the thinking faculty of average westerners. Anyone who reads Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness would probably grasp the whole story.

Gone were the days when I heaped scorn on Fekete Pákó’s ideas which I described as pointless publicity meant to tarnish the image of Nigeria and Africa at large. Afterwards I sat down and asked myself some provocative questions:

Is this guy tarnishing the image of Africa more than African Presidents like Mobutu Sesse Seko, Sani Abacha, Idi Amin who deliberately destroyed Africa financially by siphoning people’s money to Europe and America? Is Fekete Pákó demeaning the image of Africa more than our African elite who are intellectually bankrupt to effect a positive change? Is Pákó spoiling the image of Africa than our eggheads who after finishing their studies remain in Europe or America or other similar countries?

Is Fekete Pákó guiltier than those of us who claimed persecution at home yet could easily return to our different countries without being persecuted? What of those African diplomats who use their exalt office to transact personal business with host countries?

Is Fekete Pákó denigrating Nigeria more than Nigerian official delegates who absconded in South Korea? Is Fekete Pákó soiling Nigerian image more than Nigerian former governors who stole money and kept it in a foreign account? What of Nigerian presidential candidates who needed to treat common cold and bruised leg in far away Germany and Britain respectively? You, Fekete Pákó and I are victims of our leaders’ lack of sagacity and rectitude.

Yet this should not justify attempt by Africans in the Diaspora to engage in activities that might further tarnish our image. But my buroda and sisiter, the issue is larger than that. I quite understand why we expect Fekete Pákó to be sophisticated or watch his tongue. It’s psychologically demanding to assume that whatever he says would be enlarged beyond the truth, thus representing Africa. But then I suppose Hungarians are more intelligent to think Fekete Pákó represents what Africa and Africans stand for.

Fekete Pákó, who is expecting his second child with his fiancee, Plank Ágnes in March, is a victim of bad leadership which has sent most of us into voluntary exile. Many of those who threatened to shoot this guy themselves would love to be in his shoes. It is not easy for Africans to sing in Hungarian language, although if Fekete Pákó were to be in Nigeria or Ghana or Kenya or Senegal or Cameroon, he might have starved to death because no one would have taken him seriously as a singer. But then, that is the beauty of it. Coming to Hungary and becoming the most popular African. I consider it a remarkable feat.

Though he has apologised to Nigerians, Fekete Pákó, whose next project is a reality show termed Fekete Pákó Babysitter to be aired in January on TV2, still does not know what he did wrong to the extent of reporting him to the Nigerian Embassy. "What did I do wrong?" he asks. "Nigerians don’t like what I do. They don't want to be my friends. They want to shoot me down and that was why I appeared during the celebration of Nigerian Independence Day. Let them shoot me there. I have been attacked several times by Africans and Nigerians especially."

Fekete Pákó whose real name is Oludayo Olapite, came to Hungary in 1994 on scholarship to study Law but later dropped out. He becomes emotional when he charged that his critics assumed antic disposition by repeatedly castigating his singing prowess. "If they think it's easy for an African to sing in Hungarian and maintains the tempo for 6 years, let's them try it," adding that, talking about TV personality in Hungary today, it's Fekete Pákó after Gyözika.

Olapite, who stole a warm handshake from the Nigerian Ambassador to Hungary during the Independence Celebration, is not the one to forget those who inspired and nurtured him on the way to becoming the most popular African in Hungary. Two people particularly came to his mind as he looked in retrospect. "Osubu (Tunde Komolafe) took us here and there. He encouraged me to play congas, and especially how to face Hungarians. I thank him for that."

He continued: "My relationship with Toyin (Akinwumi) dated back to 1997. Whenever I have problem, I call him. He is like a father to me. He produced my third CD, A Csoki a Szadba Olvad."

His fiancee is another person in his life he would never forget because of the unwavering emotional support he constantly gets from her. "My wife supports me," he says as he blew her a warm and long kiss. "We would soon get married."

Olapite says he got the nickname, Pákó, from those days when he used to chase girls. ″You know, my friends think I like girls too much. They asked me why I liked girls too much and we started joking about it and phew the word Pákó came up.″ On how he actually got into showbiz, Olapite recalls that it was actually his friend, Molnár Sándor who came up with an idea. Sándor had asked what seemed to be a crazy question: ″What if a black man sings Hungarian folklore?″ The rest as they say is now history.

All in all, I see Olapite as a victim of a larger conspiracy against Africans living in Hungary. Instead of outright dismissing our buroda, let us come up with a programme that would counter whatever we think damages Africa's image in Hungary and let us see if Hungarian media would report it or not. Anything other than this would amount to what Gibril Deen says about African man. " The problem is, African man doesn’t want another to progress. That is our problem."

copyright 2007 mysmallvoice@yahoo.com

Sunday 19 August 2007

Old international passport valid till 2010

THE newly introduced e-passport notwithstanding, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) yesterday said that the old machine-readable passport will still remain valid till 2010.The agency has also stepped up its drive to hasten the issuance of the newly introduced e-passport to intending applicants.

The agency's spokesperson, Ekpedeme King, disclosed during a chat with reporters in Lagos, that arrangements have been put in place to phase out the machine-readable passport.

His added: "The appeal we are making now to Nigerians is that they should remain where they are. If you are holding a machine-readable passport that has not expired, continue to use it. It has a time frame of three years. You are not under compulsion to migrate to the e-passport until the next three years. So, if your passport is still valid, continue to use it, all the missions are aware."

King further explained that the new e-passport is the latest technology introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and is already in use in United States (U.S.), United Kingdom, (UK) India, Malaysia and others. He, however, said that Nigeria is the first country in Africa to embrace the concept.

He said Nigeria accepted the new technology in 2000 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Malaysia.

King added: "The e-passport is designed with some cultural features to make it unique to Nigeria; the major thing about it is the electronic chip that is embedded in it. What the NIS did is to re-design it in such a way that the data page is now the front cover of the passport. It is no longer the loose sheet that we use to have, so you can no longer rebind it without tempering with the cover page, which renders it useless. Tampering with it will affect the fingerprint; it is almost impossible for two persons to have the same fingerprints."

He added that efforts were being made to establish more issuing centres in the country, but that as a pilot project, the issuing centres for now are at Lagos, Abuja and Kano.

He disclosed further: "And for our external missions, we will begin with Washington, London, Johannesburg and New Delhi. The Comptroller-General of Immigration decided to select one country in each continent to make it widespread, we will continue to do so until we cover our entire 52 missions.

"You can no longer have cases of 'look alike' situation, which had hitherto given leverage to some form of fraudulent practices as your finger-print will give you away. It will therefore go a long way in addressing the issue of drug trafficking, human trafficking and Advanced Fee Fraud because all of these are related to travel documents."
By Wole Shadare (Culled from The Guardian)

Friday 17 August 2007

Redenomination or Redomination: Give Soludo a Chance

by Hakeem Babalola
The Central Bank Governor, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, recently unveiled a plan to revert the naira to its pre-1986 value. Prof. Soludo said among other thing that #20 will become the country’s highest denomination against #1000 which is currently the highest. Doing this will put the naira at about #1.25 to American (U.S) dollar and invariably transform the naira into a world class currency, and become West African’s common currency by 2009. This isn’t a bad idea. Is it? But is it practical and, or achievable? Are the owners of Nigeria going to tolerate it?

In essence, what the professor is trying to implement is called revaluation or currency re-denomination in economics parlance. He wants Nigerians to be proud of their currency as much as they are proud of their country being the Giant of Africa. Soludo violently believes in economic revolution hence something drastic must be applied urgently. "This would entail a total currency exchange and phasing-out of all the existing denominations from August 1, 2008".

The plan is to "restructure the entire currency by dropping two zeros or moving two decimal points to the left from the currency, and issuing more coin denominations. Effectively our plan will restore the value of the Naira (in short-term) close to what it was in 1985 before the commencement of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in 1986". The proposed currency structure is as follows: COINS (1 kobo, 2 kobo, 10 kobo, and 20 kobo) NOTES: (50 kobo, 1 Naira, 5 Naira, 10 Naira, 20 Naira).

Even though I am in the Diaspora which means it would affect the quantity of money to be sent to my relatives, I’m not at all afraid of this restructure or whatever. That Soludo is not a politician has allayed my fear. I want to trust this guy because it seems he’s damn apt at his chosen career. And there’s nothing to fear other than fear itself. It’s not that restructure will eventually curb or eradicate poverty, at least it will make the naira look good either on paper or at hand. What is the advantage of 000? Hum, the billionaire now become millionaire and the millionaire now out of the race.

My fear of course is the implementation and logistics. Our policy-makers are known for their half or incomplete achievement. They are in the habit of starting an agenda without completing it. This has manifested in virtually every project embarked on. Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) in 1976 and Structural Adjustment Programme in (SAP) 1986 to cite two examples. Both agendas were meant to alleviate our sufferings but where did it lead us to? Nna, we just dey waste money anyhow. Hopefully Soludo’s project is quite different.

I really do not care much whether several countries in the world have undertaken currency re-denomination at various times or not. What concerns me is the seriousness and determination of Soludo, and the long-term effect of this whole process. For example, what are the necessary complements to the currency re-denomination? Is Soludo ready to die defending this agenda? Is he ready to resign if the agenda is politicized? My question is, why did he introduce #1000 note recently if he was planning re-denomination? This aspect confuses me.

For such re-denomination to be successful, part of the plan must include traders and not only elites. It must be beyond theory. Soludo must provide adequate and useful information to the market wo/man whose awareness is fundamental to the success of the agenda. She must know how it will affect her and her poor family. She must be properly educated on how practical it is for #1000 to suddenly become #10. She needs to know how on earth is it possible to spend #10 and get #1000 in value product. She just must know.

Perhaps we don’t even need to exercise fear over her. For if she could survive the tantrum of the military, especially Buhari’s inconsiderate currency colour change in April 1984, IBB’s SAP, and Obasanjo’s sadistic re-denomination, then she won’t find it that difficult to adjust to this simple and wonderful restructure of her currency. But she must be assured that, this one would be totally different from those agendas that had been used to oppress her. Believe me she needs assurance like never before, otherwise she will be forced to make it impractical.

Meanwhile I believe it is absurd to politicize the content and subject matter of Soludo’s idea of re-denomination. So far those who have expressed concern on the policy include the elders’ council of the Northern Union (NU), former CBN governor, Ola Vincent, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Adebajo Babington-Ashaye, the president of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Ademola Ajayi, former secretary to the FG and Finance Minister, Olu Falae, and twice Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Minister of National Planning as well as Transport, Kalu Idika Kalu.

The above mentioned names have urged the Federal Government to call Soludo to order which simply means they do not like this idea of re-denomination. And like a listening head of this administration, Umaru Yar’Adua has asked economic team to review Soludo’s policy. I am not sure if Yar’adua, a man who is fighting tooth and nail to solidify and stabilize his rule, is ready to take the bold move with Soludo. This is definitely not the right time for Obasanjo’s anointed son to gamble on agenda of this magnitude.

In contrast, the President of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mrs. Juliet Madubueze has thrown the institute’s weight behind Soludo’s strategic plan for the naira, saying it would strengthen Nigeria’s currency in line with one of the pre-conditions of the West African single common currency. Even foremost economist, Prof. Sam Aluko, applauded Soludo’s decision to shore up the value of the naira through redenomination. "Fixing of an exchange rate for the naira has more advantages than disadvantages to the Country’s economy," Aluko was quoted by the national newspapers.

All in all, "apart from destabilising the prices of goods and services, the policy meant no change of status to the naira and the economy," says Duro Kuteyi, President, Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists. Until real development takes place in the economy through hard work on micro and macro economics, Naira woes may remain. Though I am not an economist, I consider Soludo's move as apt and brave. He should be given a chance.

Monday 13 August 2007

Remaking Lamidi Adedibu

by Hakeem Babalola
Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu almost broke my spine with his purported obedience to the new Olubadan of Ibadan’s order that none of his chiefs should participate in active politics. The Garrison Commander of Ibadan politics sounded unlike himself when he retorted, "I will not say a word that will contradict or run contrary to the Olubadan’s order..."

For those who do not know who Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu is? He is 80 years old or so. He is the son of the soil whose Molete palace in Ibadan has become Mecca of polieatics. He is the god who often anoint governors, even presidents. Public officers including law enforcement agents and high ranking traditional rulers prostrate and, or cringe before him. He is the Ekerin or Ekarun Olubadan and may soon be the Olubadan of Ibadan. He has been in active but poisonous hate politics since the age of 25.

Lamidi Adedibu knows how politics works in his country and he doesn’t hide his enthusiasm in this regard. He is a man who passionately believes in polieatics. He has seen it all – right from the days of Balewa and Adelabu and Awolowo and Akintola and Zik. He radiates in winning elections without people’s votes. He knows what wins elections: dishonesty, swearing in vain, stolen and stuffing ballot boxes, instigating violence etc. It’s the purpose by which he stole to stardom, hence loved by Princes, Maharajahs and other potentates.

However, I do not know for certain if he has ever killed in his life. After all, he seems to be a devoted Muslim. The recent arrest of Lateef Akinsola a.k.a Tokyo and thirteen others for alleged murder and attempted murder not withstanding. It is obvious these notorious fourteen men enjoyed the backing of this political warlord who also enjoyed the backing of the immediate past Aso rock emperor. There’s no Adedibu without Obasanjo.

Adedibu violently believes in the axiom: end justifies the means. Like a river, he can roll turbulently boiling against his enemies. He stormily wants the cake they had promised him when he helped them cajole and conjure the ghosts who would terrorise the minds of voters on the D-Day. He does not want them to renege on the promise voluntarily made as candidates when they secretly crawled to his Molete palace.

He needs them to need him to need them for a bombing mission. It is them who have angered the god; mould him to be aggressive and defiant. They must have bitten the finger that feeds them. Adedibu forbids any governor whom he had single-handedly anointed to exhibit independence in running the affairs of the State, especially when it comes to appointing commissioners, special advisers, minister etc. And that’s where the trouble would always lie, for the candidate is now the governor and wants to be seen as one in total control.

For Lamidi Adedibu, it’s betrayal and the punishment is either impeachment and, or devastation or death. The man abhors cheating even though his healthy economy life has centred on that region. He wants his share of the treasury otherwise the effects of the struggle will be violent and disruptive. He is well known for the wilderness of his generosity under the disguise of catering for the poor. And his healthy scepticism has won him many supporters, although most of them are hooligans or area boys in local parlance.

Therefore it’s shocking to hear that a man of quiet dignity like Pa Adedibu would soon quit the job he has worked resolutely to master. It becomes ironic when soldiers love peace and Bishops or Imams love war. It is suspicious when a Garrison Commander takes order from a recruit. It doesn’t augur well, even unwise for Mighty Adedibu to listen to Olubadan of Ibadan, a position that has been indiscriminately used to dish out chieftain titles to every thug and thief. Adedibu’s reputation as Ekerin or Ekarun Olubadan added to the irony of the situation.

I don’t buy Adedibu’s implausible excuse for complying with Olubadan designate’s order. "I am an Ibadan man and as the Olubadan of Ibadan land, he is my father and I cannot disobey him," says this septuagenarian who once boasted that Ibadan could be peaceful only if he Adedibu wanted. Did Adedibu respect Pa Alayande when the latter was alive? So why is Adedibu reasoning like this now? Or haven’t we had Olubadan before now?

Adedibu must not let the Olubadan intimidate or harass him. How dare he give order to the master of the game! What is life without politics? Does the Olubadan know what it takes to single-handedly destroy Ibadan? Because Adedibu is on the verge of accomplishing a mission, a virtuous mission of the end – certain conspiracy theory now stands his way. The new Olubadan should know that it was less hard for his predecessors to accommodate Adedibu’s choleric outburst otherwise this Ibadan god would have been curtailed ages ago.

Curtailed? No, definitely not in his lifetime. I just don’t know how possible or easy it would be for the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, to place a big man like Adedibu under restrictions. Hum, Kabiyesi might be using cobra’s head to clean his nose. Adedibu is so authoritative that Umaru Yar’Adua had to compel the Acting I-G to restore the police guards attached to this Ibadan god, which was earlier withdrawn by the Oyo State CP.

Further conspiracy theory is Dr. Lekan Balogun’s call on the Acting Inspector-General of Police to investigate Adedibu’s alleged involvement in a number of violent attacks on individuals in Oyo State. What violence is he Balogun talking about? What has Adedibu done that is new? What did Adedibu do that Adelakun alias Eruobodo did not do when he was alive? Behind every great fortune, there is a crime, says one philosopher.

Nigerians and especially Ibadan indigenous population, and most especially Oyo State elite, tacitly allow Adedibu’s tantrum and incorrigible crimes. Both elders and the youths gradually pave way for Pa Adedibu to roughshod over all opposition due to their own greed. Where is Chief Akinjide, former A-G and Justice Minister? Where is Dr. Olunloyo, ex Oyo State governor and the rest? Apparently, he probe into their minds and waylay it with impunity. By the time they realised their folly, the man had become a thorn in their flesh. His words written into law.

Thanks to OBJ. "We must tolerate and manage Adedibu". Pa Adedibu was so sure of his authority when he boasted he would impeach a governor because the latter had refused to share public fund with him. His standby loyalists are ever ready to carry out the Garrison Commander’s order as when they stormed the Oyo State House of Assembly with different kinds of weapons including guns. When a country uses thugs as part of political dispensation, what you have at the long last is chaos and Adedibuism.

But meanwhile Dr. Balogun, senator from 1999 to 2003 and Oyo State governorship aspirant in 2003, should seek his cheap popularity somewhere else. What atrocity has Adedibu committed that seemingly surpass that of Olusegun Okikiolakan Aremu Obasanjo, now a theology student and delusive father of modern Nigeria. Politics as they play it in Nigeria is not for feeble minded souls. En, what punishment melted to Operation Wetie perpetrators? What has been done to bring to book those who killed Bola Ige, former Attorney General, and many other unsolved assassinations?

Ultimately Adedibu must not give in. He should endeavour to finish his lifetime ambition before quitting politics. If he quits before completing his mission, then he is not the son of the soil. Adedibu should not turn Oyo State into mourning by quitting active politics – abruptly. He should know that Ki a soro ki a baa bee ni iyi omoluwabi (Doing what you say is peculiar character of a fine fellow). So Adedibu must not quit until Ibadan is wholly destroyed.



Ultimately this Ibadan god must not give in. He shouldn’t let the Olubadan intimidate or harass him. His life ambition he must finish before quitting the game of polieatics. Ki a soro ki a baa bee ni iyi omoluwabi (Doing what you say is peculiar character of a fine fellow). So Alhaji Lamidi Ariyibi Adedibu must not quit until Ibadan is wholly destroyed.

Thursday 9 August 2007

E-passport to check Nigeria fraud

Nigeria's authorities are worried about increasing forgery
Nigeria is introducing a chip-based e-passport to check growing cases of forgery and identity theft, the immigration chief says.
"People have been tampering with the data page of our current passport," Chukwura Udeh told the BBC.

"We found out that some fraudulent people often peel off the data page of the passports and substitute pictures of the genuine owners with fake ones."

President Umaru Yar'Adua and some MPs have been issued new e-passports.

The new e-passport has an embedded microchip that stores personal information of the holder, Mr Udeh said.

Other Nigerians wishing to exchange their current passports for the new electronic one will have to pay an administrative fee of 8,500 naira ($67).

"The e-passport has the advantage of having the biometric data of the holder encrypted in the microchip embedded somewhere in the passport, making it impossible to tamper with," Mr Udeh told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

The Nigeria Immigration Service says it plans to phase out the machine-readable passport currently in use and replace it with the new electronic one.

But Mr Udeh says even the new one is not entirely foolproof.

"We are not saying that it is 100% foolproof, but it is a veritable tool for fighting the problems associated with the older machine-readable passport," he says.

A Visit to the Nigerian Embassy in Hungary

by Hakeem Babalola
The only time I love going to the Embassy of Nigeria in Hungary is whenever it has to do with my writings. And I have done that a couple of times. My first encounter with our friends at the Embassy was in 1994 when I was doing a news story about 419 scam, which was just gaining momentum in Hungary then. It would later soil Nigeria’s image here in the Danube area. I remember I was initially verbally accused of collaborating with the foreign media to discredit Nigeria, although the then first secretary, Ayo Otepola, eventually granted me an interview.

Meanwhile, I simply detest asking our Embassy for any services even though as a Nigerian, it’s my prerogative to get such services. The services I have in mind include authentication of photocopy of my original birth certificate obtained 13 days after I was born in 19XX, and the fee paid was One Shilling. I need it to process my child’s further staying permit. I had misplaced the original. But there’s no way any reasonable and apt Nigerian official would doubt the genuineness of my precious document.

Yet my mind refused to have a blissful peace just because I must authenticate this document at my Embassy before it could be accepted for translation into Hungarian. I had experienced similar growing scepticism in December 2006 when I must go to my Embassy to collect a certified document stating that our child is Nigerian. Until then "the" child status shall remain stateless – at least as Hungarian government is concerned.

In both cases it turned out that such scepticism was purely based on my imagination. This is because I was attended to and got both documents without much hassle under the supervision of two Madams – Ester Ogundipe and G.C Sani respectively. My experience is however, maybe contrary to what many of our compatriots encounter at the Embassy here in Hungary.

Nigerians who bear the Embassy a grudge and would hold it for years are those with the so-called proxy passports. These Nigerians cannot fit themselves into the web of social life unless they first cross the hurdle of proxy passport. As each day wax, they dream of that delusive moment when the Nigerian Ministry of Internal affairs would find it significant to ship the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) to Hungary.

Although the MRP will cease to be an authorised travel document in July 2008 when it will be replaced by the recently introduced Harmonised ECOWAS e-passport, Nigerians wishing to get married to Hungarians must first present it before their Embassy could issue a clearance certificate for nuptial bliss. Such certificates had been issued to many Nigerians until recently when holders of proxy passport are exempted.

It should be noted that Hungarian Immigration has zero tolerance for proxy passport, a clampdown which often delays Nigerians at the port of entry. Yours truly constantly experience such delays. It may take twenty to thirty minutes before establishing the genuineness of a Nigerian passport at the Hungarian airport. Many Nigerian proxy passports have also being seized.

So on that bright Tuesday morning off I went to the Embassy having booked an appointment with the consular. After the friendly looking security had satisfied that I was not concealing any weapon of mass destruction, he ushered me in – to the waiting room. I met another Nigerian and we greeted each other.

Fifteen minutes later, the consular came to the room, pointing to me that I must be the person who talked to her on the phone about authentication of... "birth certificate," I helped her finish the sentence. I was greatly impressed by her memory, after all, there are tens of Nigerians calling this Embassy everyday. Besides, I have always heard bad comments about our officials. Isn’t it food for reflection if I had to be impressed simply because madam was doing her job?

She then moved towards where I was sitting, sat beside me and inspected my document. I was right when I said earlier that no competent Nigerian official would doubt my birth certificate, for it was written on her face. There was no need to challenge its authenticity, so Madam just offered me various ways to do it. She talked about Hungarians with so much exactitude that surprised John Chukwu and I. Here is our Madam who barely spent four months and has already known what took most of us years to understand.

Another Nigerian who was accompanied by a white lady whom I later discovered to be his fiancee had joined us immediately Madam left. He greeted us with compatriot handshake. Then we engaged in discussion based on the image of Nigeria. We chatted about the ministry of internal affairs inability to provide MRP to the Embassy in Hungary. We talked about Hungary’s joining Schengen Staten soon which means free border; and those with proxy passports would be able to go to Austria to authenticate them.

John Chukwu whose passport had been seized by the Hungarian Immigration seemed satisfied with the newly promoted first secretary, Miss Aiyenuro, who attended to him. I was happy to part with 30 dollars for the service rendered to me. Only Obinna Maduewesi who holds proxy passport and until now may not be able to wed his fiancee, was dissatisfied and furious.

As I left the Embassy, I prayed for Obinna – such a young guy. And I lost in deep thought: is Madam being nice or simply doing her job? Does she know that I’m a newspaper boy who must write? Or is it simply the beginning of a new era at our Embassy in Hungary? It’s too early for me to jump into conclusion but I shall have my ear to the ground.

Sunday 5 August 2007

Police Indiscriminate Arrest of Women in Lagos

by Hakeem Babalola
In their search for a scapegoat, the police found an easy target in our women. Whereas women and children, apart from protecting the citizens in general, must be given exceptional treatment, according to the Police Act. Rather than undertake the danger imposed by armed robbers however, the Lagos State Police seem satisfied with capturing and arresting "whores" and, or ladies dressed in "skimpy" clothes along the streets of Lagos.

Before our stern moralists, especially Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God who has just banned female members from wearing trousers, start preaching the gospels, I’d like to say the issue is beyond being morally pure on the part of the arrested citizens. It’s like obtaining public money under false pretences for a lost cause. It’s about the police mocking the law they suppose to enforce. It’s about police immorality and irresponsibility. It’s about abusing the uniform meant for protection.

There’s nothing wrong for the police to conduct a routine check, which of course must be an exercise to protect the society from the menace of muggers. Anything different from this would have defeated the purpose. Equally significant is the manner in which such routine check must be carried out, an area in which the Lagos Police goofed. The officers appear to be more concerned about harassing, embarrassing, and intimidating ladies during such exercise.

"Their vehicle stopped beside me and they pushed me into it," recalls Mrs. Chiegozie Albert, a mother of two who was arrested along Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja. "They call me Asewo (prostitute) because I was wearing jeans trousers and open top. I told them that I am a housewife but they didn’t listen to me. They took me to their Ikeja station and detained me along with other ladies; it was my husband who learnt of my arrest who came to bail me. He paid #5,000 before I was released".

Of course those who could not grease the officers’ pilfering palm ended up being prosecuted for disturbing the "public peace". Although the importance of law enforcement agents cannot be overlooked in our society, such nobility could only fascinate us if only we are protected as the profession dictates. Parading these women like criminals terribly violates their rights as a human. This is simply not the way to purify Lagos or Nigeria at large.

At the risk of of being accused of hearsay, I certainly believe Mrs Albert even though I was not there. Her experience much the same of what I had witnessed as an insider. The Nigeria Police are simply brutal when it comes to discharging what suppose to be their duties. Perhaps it’s the uniform, perhaps it’s frustration, perhaps it’s low self-esteem. I can’t just pinpoint what could be responsible for incessant disgrace by our law enforcement officers.

The Lagos Police Command went on rampage chasing sex workers, housewives, students, blue collar workers, and in doing so sexually violated these women: a textile worker at Oshodi, two sisters returning from their village, female youths accused of dressing indecently and so on. And in fact PMNEWS investigations revealed that many innocent Lagosians were detained by the police due to indiscriminate arrest on the road.

How would right thinking Nigerians describe a scenario of this nature? "At night, some of them (Police) will come and start touching our breasts," says Chinwe Okorie. "And I was not a prostitute but they wouldn’t listen".

I mean even if these women are hookers, does it give the police the right to touch their breasts? What minds these mortals possess? What is happening to our police? Bail me out please. Whilst I commend the arrest of some 95 women for alleged human trafficking during the raid, the innocents must be released immediately with compensation.

Gosh, when an organisation that suppose to protect us officially becomes the one that eventually thwarts or frustrates or impedes our exactitude, then we’re dead – and this is not figurative language. I believe there’s no other act that can paralyse citizens than when a government violates our dignity as in the case of these women. And I am subjectively insinuating here of the possibility that the women were prone to rape in police dark dungeon.

It is even easier for the victims of armed robbers or rapists to get over the trauma than when the police use their uniform to either physically and, or sexually violates them under the inauspicious camouflage of arresting prostitutes. Is there not a law that guides such exercise? Should the police continuously use their uniform to perpetrate sexual harassment?

On behalf of these helpless ladies, I entreat the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, M.D Abubakar, to tread the path of honour. While his assurance to fight crime with might is commendable, his method of indiscriminately arresting women is not. Let him know that his gra...gra method by embarrassing and intimidating women won’t work; it can only backfire.

Finally, it is also good that Abubakar had instructed his officers to wake up from their slumber. However, they should go about their business without making our women a whipping boy. This is one message the new Commissioner of Police must put at the back of his determined mind with unflagging courtesy and pursuit of excellence.



"At night, some of them (Police) will come and start touching our breasts," says Chinwe Okorie. Another witness: "I told them that I am a housewife but they didn’t listen to me. They took me to their Ikeja station and detained me along with other ladies; it was my husband who learnt of my arrest who came to bail me. He paid #5,000 before I was released".

Wednesday 1 August 2007

Before Her Excellency Meets the Nigerian Community

by Hakeem Babalola
Hum, the Nigerian ambassador to Hungary, Mrs Adeola Adebisi Obileye, has finally agreed to meet with the Nigerian community in Hungary. This is a good gesture. Not long ago we were fed with plethora of news about how she reneged on an earlier promise to meet with the Committee members who had paid her a courtesy visit. In response I had argued that the ambassador may have been justified and then backed it up with evidence in form of satire. I had proposed that the best way for Madam was to address the Nigerian community as a whole and not Caretaker Committee or any union in this regard.

In this piece, I shall rationalize by saying certain individuals have relegated the Nigerian Union to the bottom of the totem pole. I shall argue that the embassy should respect its citizens above any union or club or organization. Then I shall enumerate what the embassy could do for its citizens in the host country. I shall offer suggestions on what the embassy should do in order to reach out to its citizens. Are you with me?

Although I don’t know the reason behind the embassy’s change of heart, it’s definitely a welcome development to hear that Madam is not a rigid disciplinarian. Once upon a time not so long, there was this Nigerian Emperor who was so stubborn like a donkey that he shot himself on the foot despite public plea. Therefore I commend Mrs. Obileye’s change of heart. It is indeed a plot of great ingenuity.

But tarry a little. Is this actually a change of heart? I suppose there was never a time that Madam refused to meet with the Nigerian community. Perhaps we have been sending confusing signals like jumble of road signs. We should endeavour not to confound her refusal to meet with the Committee or Union members with meeting the Nigerian community as a whole. The latter is a must while the former is not. I shall expatiate.

The functions of a diplomatic mission include the representation and protection of the home country and its citizens in the host country. A Nigerian Union or Committee or any union for that matter, being a social or pressure group, may not necessarily represent the interest of the citizens in the host country. Hence such club or union or group may represent its interest but not the Nigerian community. Of course this is an assumption. As far as I am concerned, any worthy ambassador would never miss the opportunity to acquaint him or herself with the citizens in the host country. By citizens I mean Nigerian community as a whole and not executive members of a certain club.

Thus far, I have my reservations about social club claiming service to the people. For example, the argument put forward by a former Nigerian Union executive for having a union is to speak with one voice. Another one exacts that only a Nigerian Union can fight the embassy. Since its genesis, the Nigerian Union neither have spoken with one voice nor successfully fought the Embassy. Instead the embassy has manipulated the executive members of the Nigerian Union. An example is when Emperor Olusegun Okikiolakan Aremu Obasanjo visited Hungary in 2001. The embassy tactically used them to organize a befitting reception for a president that should have been pelted with eggs.

Furthermore, suppose there are many Nigerian Unions in Hungary, does it mean that our
ambassador must meet all of them at different times? How would such ambassador get time? What if a union is formed with the aim to destabilize the home country? Do we expect the embassy to embrace such union? The best thing is to meet with the Nigerian community as a whole without prejudice and without an intermediary. How is the embassy going to inform its citizens? See, this is one of the mistakes the Nigerian embassy in Hungary is making. In this era of Information Technology, this shouldn't cause any problem.

For instance, many Nigerians have registered with their embassy. Isn’t it? What the embassy need do is to create a formidable networking like a website featuring newsletter and events like other Nigerian Missions around the world. There is no need for physical contact or presence before the embassy could embolden its citizens in the areas that matter. Such action would invariably undermine any misinformation or unfounded allegations. This would also release the pressure on any Committee Chairperson or any Union President who might want to work him or herself to the limit in an attempt to look good before the members.

Ironically, certain individuals have relegated the Nigerian Union to the bottom of totem pole. These Nigerians prefer approaching the embassy on their own to going through any union. And it has worked for them. These are individuals who have befriended successive ambassadors or Charge d’ affaires. They are ever present at every occasion being organized by the embassy. There is one whom Ambassador Yomi Akintola inappropriately introduced to Obasanjo in 2001 as a successful scholarship student. Till today, I wonder why such high ranking Nigerian official would consider someone who owes his country big time as being successful.

There is another one who read eulogy during the wake keeping for the late Ambassador Gershon Guyit. (Amb. Guyit’s classification of Nigerians living in Hungary into two – the students and the street ones – angered many). Our departed ambassador had zero tolerance for the "street ones". Anyway, these individuals have become avante-garde of sycophants. Permit my use of hyperbole. They have probably sold their compatriots at a cheap price in order to gain popularity.

They are ever ready to prove the difference; they behave in a manner to twist their nationality. Some of them gloat over having Hungarian citizenship and only remember their original country just when it suits them. Meanwhile they embrace Ambassador Guyit’s dichotomy: I belong not to the street ones. Is such braggadocio necessary in the first place? I predict these lads would not attend the meeting. For what? Hum, yours truly might not attend as well, because, of what purpose is such previous meetings.

Guess what? It seems our embassy has fallen for the slickness of these Nigerians in question. Otherwise no ambassador under any circumstances should classify its citizens into two opposed parts or subclasses. The embassy must endeavour to treat its citizens equally in the host country as long as the latter has given them permission to reside. For instance, though as mundane as it is, ambassador’s inauguration get-together should be open to all Nigerians and not selected few. See, this is the advantage of a formidable Information Technology I mentioned earlier.

Consequently, I am not so naive as to believe the embassy is here to solve one’s immigration problem. That's not its duty and any Nigerian who thinks otherwise must be living in a fool’s paradise. The best our embassy could do for us is to implement a procedure of administration assistance at no exorbitant cost in the areas of document authentication; provides logistics in case of emergency; be aware of the numbers of its citizens in the host country; follow up any unjust persecution of its citizens; and other welfare services. The embassy will have rendered any agitating union or club or organization useless should it embark on this, for there would be nothing left to fight for.

And lastly, unlike political diplomats, I trust Madam Ambassador being a career diplomat would do the right thing without necessarily being nice – to preserve the dignity of Nigeria and its citizens studying or working and living in Magyarország. The bottom line is not the meeting but what happens thereafter.

On this I stand.


2007 Copyright mysmallvoice@yahoo.com