The Clown In Imo State Government House

By Shaka Momodu

In October 2015, I wrote an article titled, ‘Okorocha Puts Imo in Chains.’ That piece was written as a direct response to Okorocha’s incompetence, maladministration, mismanagement of bailout funds, failure to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements, and the state’s poor infrastructure, particularly in Owerri. His government was riddled with corruption, outright thievery and official celebration of inanities as achievements. But the comic has shown an unrelenting inclination to betray the trust of the people by beating his own worst record of poor performance.

*Gov Rochas Okorocha

I had posited in the referenced article that “one is tempted to call for a psychiatric evaluation of the governor because clearly, something is wrong with a chief executive who wouldn’t construct roads, and who begs for a bailout to pay workers’ salaries – only to go on a wild spending binge abroad with scarce foreign exchange in the name of attracting foreign investors to his state. It is almost unbelievable the level of decay and rot that confronts anyone who visits Owerri”.

It is a shame that the situation in Imo has grown progressively worse such that it has reached a crisis proportion. Angered by my article, the boy-boy deputy governor wrote a disparaging and utterly vacuous counter-narrative to please his master. He tried to practise new highfalutin words he had just learnt on me. But today, we know better.

Mugabe Explodes: South Africa, Nigeria ‘Betrayed Africa’

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe blasted South Africa and Nigeria at the African Union summit this weekend, saying Africa would never agree to them getting permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

This was because they had both voted for UN Security Council Resolution 1973 in 2011, which authorised military action against the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

They had betrayed the continent which could never trust them, sources reported him as saying.

Mugabe intervened in a meeting of the so-called “Committee of 10” at the summit on Saturday which was discussing possible amendments to the “Ezulwini Consensus” which stated Africa’s position on reform of the UN Security Council.

The 2005 Ezulwini Consensus was that Africa should demand at least two permanent and five non-permanent seats on the council as part of the protracted, wider reform to make it more representative of the world.

The consensus also demanded that the two permanent seats should come with the same veto powers as were enjoyed by the five current permanent members, the US, UK, China, Russia and France.

This demand for vetoes had effectively stymied Africa’s chances of reforming the council. And so the South African government was calling for Africa to adopt a more flexible approach by dropping the veto demand.

This was what the so-called G4 group of nations - Germany, Japan, India and Brazil - who were also seeking permanent seats on the council had done, as a tactical manoeuvre to try to diminish resistance to their bid.

Last year South African President Jacob Zuma said: “Africa needs to compromise - not reiterate fixed positions as it has done for the past nine years.”

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Xenophobia: Nipping A Monster’s Growth In The Bud

By Nnaemeka Oruh

One of the things I have learnt, first as a student of literature, and then as a literary critic, is that incidents (especially those brought about by human action) do not randomly occur in isolation, but are rather linked to other incidents. Thus an incident would either be a result or cause of another incident. For instance, the man or woman who becomes a terrorist does not just wake up one day to become one. Several incidents (including indoctrination) would have combined to create in him the mind-set of a terrorist. It is simply human nature.

*South African President, Jacob Zuma and President 

Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria 

Recently, we have all been inundated with information, pictures, and even videos of the xenophobic attacks in South Africa. The world stood, mouth open in shock, at the despicable level of inhumanity, hatred, and incivility being displayed by Nelson Mandela's children. Children, who just a few years ago needed the support of their African brethren to be free from segregation. The fact that some of them (law enforcement agents inclusive) stood by and watched without offering any help to the victims as their countrymen beat up, torched and killed several foreigners show a certain unspoken solidarity with the actions of their people. Which goes to show that these few who perpetrated those despicable acts are somehow representative of the core feelings of a larger section of South Africans. The question that any discerning person would ask though is: are these xenophobic acts random, spur-of-the-moment acts? Or are they a consequence of the blossoming of a monster whose seed was sown long ago?

'Zuma Is A Thief, I Am Not Going To Withdraw It!' - Mashabela (MP)

*Zuma

Recently, serious chaos, and eventually a fight erupted in the South African National Assembly as an MP, Ms. Ngwanamakwetle Mashabela of the Julius Melema-led Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), while addressing the House, described South African President, Jacob Zuma, as a “thief” and “criminal.” Asked by the House chairman, Cedrick Frolick, to withdraw the statement, she refused and instead continued to repeat the same words. She insisted on  remaining on the podium and also  completing her speech despite an order by Mr. Frolick for her to stop and leave the podium. As several MPs sought to talk, and Ms. Mashabela stood her ground, chaos was unleashed in the House.  The eventual invitation of the police to escort the defiant MP out of the Legislative chambers led to a scuffle which badly degenerated, as punches were reportedly exchanged. See Video BELOW