Jon Stewart rips Fox News over their coverage of Mitt Romney and his 47% comment. He basically describes the three step process that the Fox News crew goes through to try to contain the damage from the leakedvideo. The first step was to try to play down the source of the leak. The second step was to explain that the language he used was wrong, but his message was right. And the third, and probably the most hilarious, was to try to spin it as if the release of the secret video was good for Romney. The first 3-4 minutes of the video are the best.
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Bakassi Peninsula: ‘Why ceding of Bakassi Peninsula must be revisited’
Bakassi Peninsula: ‘Why ceding of Bakassi Peninsula must be revisited’
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Okoi Obono Obla in this piece argues that the United Nations as the repository of international peace and custodian of Human Rights should organise a referendum in the Bakassi peninsula so that these Nigerian ethnic nationalities would have the opportunity of deciding in a democratic manner whether or not they want to belong to the Federal Republic of Nigeria
THE judgment of the International Court of Justice, which purported to award the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun, is to all intents and purposes outrageous, blatantly unjust and patently unsupportable.
The judgment delivered in October, 2002 which was the consequence of a suit instituted by the Republic of Cameroun claiming sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula and some parts of the Lake Chad region is the climax of the dream of Cameroun toexercise control of this area particularly the Bakassi Peninsula.
The suit was instituted in 1995 during the heydays of General Sani Abacha’s Military Dictatorship when the country was torn by crisis caused by the decision of General Ibrahim Babangida and his Military Junta to annul the presidential election held in June 12, 1993.
Before the suit was filed by Cameroun, she had long been subjecting Nigerians in Peninsula to all sorts of brutalities ranging from false imprisonment, murder and intimidation.
In 1981, the Cameroonian armed forces made an incursion to the Peninsula and murdered a contingent of Nigerian troops from the 13th Amphibious Brigade, Calabar. Nigeria reacted forcefully by moving troops to her boundary with Cameroon.
Somehow Cameroun realised the foolhardiness of her armed forces and profoundly apologised. The Federal Government under the then President Shehu Shagari balked.
It was an opportunity to call off the bluff of Cameroun as far as the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula was concerned. It was insinuated in some quarters that President Shehu Shagari backed down because he did not want to confront the then President Ahmadu Ahidjo, who is a Fulani like him.
This matter was not squarely resolved throughout the period of the Babangida and Abacha military dictatorships. The Cameroonian army was allowed to roughshod on Nigerians of Efik, Ijaw, Oron and Ibibio ethnic nationalities who inhabit this Peninsula.
This was the bleakest period of Nigerian political history. These military leaders were so steeped in looting and violating the Human Rights of Nigerians that other facts of national endeavours suffered blithe neglect.
Military potentates
It must be stated that if we finally lose this part of Nigeria the blame must be totally put on the footsteps of these military potentates who seized political power in Nigeria for more than thirty years. It must be pointed that this area known as Bakassi was under the suzerainty of the Obong of Calabar before the balkanization of Africa by the European Powers in a Conference held in Berlin, Germany in 1884 where the decision to appropriate Africa was arrived at and taken.
It must be noted that one of the documents that the International Court of Justice relied on heavily in its judgment was the so-called Maroua and Yaoundé 11 Declarations, which were entered into between President Ahidjo of Cameroun and the then Nigeria Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, which purported to vest the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula on the Republic of Cameroun.
This agreement was made during the Civil War as a deal with the Cameroonian Government to block Biafra from using the area as pad to launch Naval bombardment and maritime trading. The treaty was never ratified by the then Supreme Military Council which was the sole legislative authority of Nigeria at that time.
However, it is on record that this document was shrouded in the usual military secrecy and capriciousness. It was never presented for ratification before the then Supreme Military Council, which by the Constitution (suspension and modification) Decree No. 1 of 1966 was vested with legislative sovereignty over the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is sad that this matter has been caught up by the ineptitude, irresponsibility and bad governance, which characterised military regimes in Nigeria.
The Murtala/Obasanjo military dictatorship, which took over from General Gowon had denounced this document. Curiously, no steps were taken to get them quashed by the Supreme Court. As military rule took it tolls in the country, Cameroun shrewdly filed the suit in the International Court of Justice.
Colonial international law
The pertinent question is what becomes of the ethnic nationalities in the Bakassi Peninsula , which are basically of Nigerian origin? The International Court of Justice surprisingly relied on Article XII of the Anglo-German Agreement dated April 12, 1913 in its judgment. This treaty underscores the arbitrariness and capriciousness of colonial International Law.
As a “conquered” people these ethnic nationalities of Nigeria were never consulted before the British Colonial Government enacted this treaty, which effectively separated them from their brothers and sisters in the present Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River States of Nigeria. The arbitrary and capricious carving out of countries in Africa by European imperialists at the infamous Berlin Conference of 1884, without the slightest regard for demographic and ethnic composition of these countries was one of the hallmarks of colonialism in Africa.
The consequence of this blatant carving out of Africa without regard to the basic principle of humanity at the Berlin Conference is still reverberating and causing tension in the continent.
The consequence of this is that in Africa you find people of the same ethnic nationalities straddling more than two countries for instance. Ewes in Togo and Ghana, Yoruba in Benin and Nigeria; Ejagham in Nigeria and Cameroun. Colonialism has effectively ended. However the question is: must we Africans allow this state of affairs to continue.
Imperialism and the positivist school
I think these Rules of International law which were largely formulated by European imperialists in the eighteenth century must be completely and totally jettisoned by Africans.
International law based on racism, imperialism and the positivist school of jurisprudence is completely outdated. Undoubtedly since the end of the Second World War the influence of the positivist school of law has considerably waned in the Municipal law of many countries in the World.
However, in international law the influence of the positivist is still prevalent. It is submitted that the concept of international law predicated on racial superiority and colonialism must be rejected. Happily the right to self-determination has been implicitly asserted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international covenants.
Undoubtedly the people of the Bakassi Peninsula have unequivocally demonstrated their will to be an integral part of Nigeria.
To insist that these people are in Cameroun under the umbrage of a benighted colonial treaty foisted on them by some paternalistic colonial masters to feather their capitalistic instincts and imperialistic designs would amount to an egregious injustice unprecedented in the annals of world history.
In this wise, it is incumbent on the United Nations as the repository of international peace and the custodian of Human Rights to immediately organise a referendum in the Bakassi Peninsula, so that these Nigerian ethnic nationalities would have the opportunity of deciding in a democratic manner whether or not they want to belong to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Otherwise the Federal Government of Nigeria must as a matter of urgent national interest take effective measures to safeguard the sovereignty of Nigeria in the Bakassi Peninsula . This would surely be seen in the international community as an outrage and an affront. But how many countries which the International Court of Justice had found against have obeyed its decisions?
How many times has the State of Israel arrogantly and with reckless abandon flouted resolutions of the United Nations urging her to respect the right of self-determination of the hapless Palestinian people? What of the case of Morocco in the Western Sahara? Has the United States, which is the supposed bastion of International Constitutionalism, not defied the principles of international law and the United Nations in her present face-off with Iraq over weapons of mass destruction?
There must be no double standard in international relations. Furthermore, the 1999 Constitution, which is the Supreme law of the country, has expressly asserted that Bakassi Local Government Area is an integral part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It follows, therefore, that the judgment of the International Court of Justice cannot supersede the basic law of the country.
This principle was given judicial approbation by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in the celebrated cause of The Guardian Newspapers Ltd. V. Federal Republic of Nigeria, where the Supreme Court boldly asserted that an international treaty cannot override the provisions of the Constitution, where there is a conflict.
It is clear that the Green Tree Agreement entered between Nigeria and Cameroon in 2006 at the instance of the United Nations and the Western Powers finally transferred the sovereignty of Bakasi to the Republic of Cameroon without compliance with the mandatory provisions of the Constitution especially Section 12 thereof.
Gross violation of the constitution
It follows, therefore, that the purported transfer of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon was in gross violation of the constitution. The Obasanjo Presidency was seemingly in a hurry to compromise the interest of the hapless people of Bakassi who were obviously abandoned and sacrificed as pawn in the chess board of International Politics and the selfishness of President Obasanjo.
It was clear that the handing over of Bakassi by Obasanjo to Cameroon was a conscious act of appeasement by President Obasanjo to endear himself to Western Powers such as the United States, France and United Kingdom. The interest of the people of Bakassi who are mainly minority ethnic nationalities in Nigeria was secondary. Perhaps if this territory was inhabited by people of the majority ethnic nationalities in the country such impetuous decision would not have been taken without ferocious opposition from those concerned.
It is scandalous and regrettable that more than six years since this ill advised and ill motivated decision to handover a portion of the territory constituting the Federal Republic of Nigeria without the slightest regard for constitutionalism and the right of self determination of the people of Bakassi the National Assembly has refused, failed and neglected to take any step to reverse this decision.
The decision to handover Bakassi to Cameroon has largely compromised National Interest and poses grave danger to National Security of the Country. It is clear that International Shipping cannot enter into Calabar, Nigeria without passing through the shores of Cameroon.
This has rendered otiose the Naval Base of the Nigerian Navy in Calabar in the sense that Naval Vessels of the Nigerian Navy cannot carry out manoeuvre without being at the mercy of the Cameroonian Navy which must give its consent before vessels cannot venture out of their Base in Calabar.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Saturday, 22 September 2012
AKPOS
Lecturer: What do you understand by definitive deficit
equity?
Akpors: lambata ighotobore amarakata.
Lecturer: I don’t understand you.
Akpors: Same here...
God to akpors: Son, what do you wish for?
Akpors: A job, a big vehicle & lots of girls
God: Amen
#Akpors Is Now the Bus Driver of girls secondary school, Umuleri.
Akpos o! The students of Warri Grammar School went on excursion to Egypt.
On the tomb of Pharaoh was written 1102BC, the teacher asked "who knows what this means"?
Nobody except Akpos raised his hand but d teacher
was not comfortable & pretended not to take notice of him.
She then asked again and yet only Akpos' hand was still up.
So she allowed him to answer.
Akpos said "Na Pharaoh BB Pin".
Akpos girlfriend invited him to her home, so that he could meet her parents. While they were eating, it started raining heavily. D girl's mother said: "Akpos, I think u should sleep over here because this rain shows no sign of stopping anytime soon." After eating d mom went to d toilet & d father went to sleep while d girl went to d kitchen to clear d dishes. When d girl & d mother returned, Akpos was no longer there. As they were busy wondering where he was, he came back really soaking wet! Mother:"Where were u & why are u so wet?"
Akpos: "I went home to get my pyjamas".
Akpors: Dad,whats the difference between 'potential' and 'reality'?
Dad turns to wife: would u sleep with Barak Obama for $1 million?
Wife: Of course, i will never waste such an opportunity.
Doctor: "You idiot, If you cant see, how come you are having an e*ect*o*!Teacher: "Onome, What do u want to become in future?"
Onome: "A successful multi-billionaire business woman."
Teacher: "Akpos, U?"
Akpos: "Onome's husband."
#lobatan
AKPOS: Will you punish me for something i didn't do? TEACHER: Of course not! AKPOS: Good, because I didn't do
my homework!
Rukewe packs the picnic basket with drinks and sandwiches. Oghene carried the basket and they set out for the park 10km away.
It takes them 2 hours to get there. When they arrived, Rukewe quickly spread the mat and set out the sandwiches. After checking around, Oghene found out that Rukewe did not pack the bottle opener. They then begged Akpos to make t
Music teacher: "What is your favorite musical instrument?" Akpos: "The lunch bell..."
Akpos knocked on the gate of a brothel in a red light district. The madam opened the brothel door to see a young man called Akpos. His clothes were all tattered and he looked needy.??
equity?
Akpors: lambata ighotobore amarakata.
Lecturer: I don’t understand you.
Akpors: Same here...
God to akpors: Son, what do you wish for?
Akpors: A job, a big vehicle & lots of girls
God: Amen
#Akpors Is Now the Bus Driver of girls secondary school, Umuleri.
Akpos o! The students of Warri Grammar School went on excursion to Egypt.
On the tomb of Pharaoh was written 1102BC, the teacher asked "who knows what this means"?
Nobody except Akpos raised his hand but d teacher
was not comfortable & pretended not to take notice of him.
She then asked again and yet only Akpos' hand was still up.
So she allowed him to answer.
Akpos said "Na Pharaoh BB Pin".
Akpos girlfriend invited him to her home, so that he could meet her parents. While they were eating, it started raining heavily. D girl's mother said: "Akpos, I think u should sleep over here because this rain shows no sign of stopping anytime soon." After eating d mom went to d toilet & d father went to sleep while d girl went to d kitchen to clear d dishes. When d girl & d mother returned, Akpos was no longer there. As they were busy wondering where he was, he came back really soaking wet! Mother:"Where were u & why are u so wet?"
Akpos: "I went home to get my pyjamas".
Akpors: Dad,whats the difference between 'potential' and 'reality'?
Dad turns to wife: would u sleep with Barak Obama for $1 million?
Wife: Of course, i will never waste such an opportunity.
Dad turns to daughter: Would u sleep with Brat Pitt fo $1 million?
Daughter: Yes! He is my fantasy.
Dad turns to elder son: Would u sleep with Atiku for $1 million?
Eldest son: Why not? Imagine what I would do with that money.
Dad turns to his youngest son Akpors: U see
son, 'potentially' we are sitting with multimillionaires BUT in 'reality' we are sitting with two prostitutes and one Gay idiot=D
Akpors went To a Doctor With Eyes Problem, then He was Set on Operation'
He did not want to pay the doctor's fee after the eye operation. So when the doctor demanded he pay, he said "I cant see."
So the doctor whispered on one
of his sexy nurses and tells her to
undress infront of akpors.
"Can you see" the Doctor asked.
"I still cant see." akpors answered..
The doctor tells the nurse to open her legs.
Akpors: "I still cant see."
Teacher: "Akpos, U?"
Akpos: "Onome's husband."
#lobatan
AKPOS: Will you punish me for something i didn't do? TEACHER: Of course not! AKPOS: Good, because I didn't do
my homework!
Rukewe packs the picnic basket with drinks and sandwiches. Oghene carried the basket and they set out for the park 10km away.
It takes them 2 hours to get there. When they arrived, Rukewe quickly spread the mat and set out the sandwiches. After checking around, Oghene found out that Rukewe did not pack the bottle opener. They then begged Akpos to make t
he 4 hour trip to and fro for the opener. He disagreed. ''You'll finish the sandwiches before I return,'' Akpos protested.
''No we won't'', assured Rukewe.
After some more cajoling from them, Akpos reluctantly sets out for the opener.
After 5 hours, there was no sign of Akpos. They decided to wait for another 3 hours. Still no sign of Akpos.
Oghene and Rukewe after waiting on Akpos for more than 8 hours were by now very hungry so they decided to take one sandwich each.
As they were about to eat, Akpos pops out from behind a rock screaming: ''I KNEW IT! I'M NOT GOING AGAIN''!!!
''No we won't'', assured Rukewe.
After some more cajoling from them, Akpos reluctantly sets out for the opener.
After 5 hours, there was no sign of Akpos. They decided to wait for another 3 hours. Still no sign of Akpos.
Oghene and Rukewe after waiting on Akpos for more than 8 hours were by now very hungry so they decided to take one sandwich each.
As they were about to eat, Akpos pops out from behind a rock screaming: ''I KNEW IT! I'M NOT GOING AGAIN''!!!
A girl sitting close to akpos was singing in a bus.
Akpos: Why cant you sing in radio.
GirL: Am i singing that good.
Akpos: I mean, we can at least put off the radio.
Akpos: Why cant you sing in radio.
GirL: Am i singing that good.
Akpos: I mean, we can at least put off the radio.
Akpos : Would You Like To Be The Sun Of My Life ?
Onome : Awwww ...so lovely of you, Yes I wanna be !
Akpos : Then Stay 9,995,887.6 Miles Away From Me..
Onome : Awwww ...so lovely of you, Yes I wanna be !
Akpos : Then Stay 9,995,887.6 Miles Away From Me..
Music teacher: "What is your favorite musical instrument?" Akpos: "The lunch bell..."
can I help you?” the madam asked.??
I want Onome,” Akpos replied.??
Young Man, Onome is one of our most expensive ladies, perhaps someone else…”??
No, I must see Onome.” Akpos replied. Just then Onome appeared and
I want Onome,” Akpos replied.??
Young Man, Onome is one of our most expensive ladies, perhaps someone else…”??
No, I must see Onome.” Akpos replied. Just then Onome appeared and
announced to Akpos that she charges N50,000 per visit.??
Akpos never blinked and reached into his pocket and handed her fifty pieces of N1,000 notes. The two went up to a room for an hour whereupon Akpos calmly left.
The next night he appeared again demanding Onome.
Onome explained that no one had ever come back two nights in a row and that there were no discounts. it was still N50,000. Again Akpos took out the money, the two went up to the room and he calmly left an hour later
When Akpos showed up the third consecutive night, no one could believe it. Again he handed Onome the money and up to the room they went. At the end of the hour Onome questioned Akpos: “No one has ever used my services three nights in a row… where are you from?”??
Akpos replied, “I am from Warri.” “Really?” replied Onome, “I have a brother who lives there and does business.”??
Yes; I know,” Akpos replied. “He gave me N150,000 to give to you.”
Akpos never blinked and reached into his pocket and handed her fifty pieces of N1,000 notes. The two went up to a room for an hour whereupon Akpos calmly left.
The next night he appeared again demanding Onome.
Onome explained that no one had ever come back two nights in a row and that there were no discounts. it was still N50,000. Again Akpos took out the money, the two went up to the room and he calmly left an hour later
When Akpos showed up the third consecutive night, no one could believe it. Again he handed Onome the money and up to the room they went. At the end of the hour Onome questioned Akpos: “No one has ever used my services three nights in a row… where are you from?”??
Akpos replied, “I am from Warri.” “Really?” replied Onome, “I have a brother who lives there and does business.”??
Yes; I know,” Akpos replied. “He gave me N150,000 to give to you.”
Akpos just got a job as a porter in a five star hotel in Abuja.
The manager told him:
"...in here we give every customer personalized services and you have to be very observant so you know how to address their every need even before they ask"
Before the manager could finish, a couple walked through the hotel entrance and the manager quickly approached them, nicely took their baggage and said,
"Welcome Mr & Mrs James, it is our delight to have you in our hotel. Please come this way to the reception"
... and he led them to the reception.
After the couple had been taken care of, Akpos asked the manager,
"Has the couple been visiting this hotel before?"
"No" came the reply from the manager.
"So how come you knew their name?" asked Akpos.
"That is why I told you to be very observant. All I had to do was quickly look at the label on their baggage while I'm taking it from them and see the name on the tag".
"Oh, here comes another couple. Why don't you give it a try?"
"Ok" said Akpos and he hurriedly approached the couple, helped them with their luggage and said,
"Welcome Mr & Mrs SUPERIOR HAND MADE LEATHER! We are delighted to have you in our hotel..."
The manager fainted!
Teacher: "What do you call a bee that lives in America?"..
Akpos: "USB".
Akpors is right back from school,
tired and hungry
Mother: Akpors u are back?
Akpors: Yes mum..
Mother: What were u taught in
school 2day?
Akpors: It's agriculture
Mother: Which topic?
Akpors: Desert.!
Mother: What is desert?
Akpors: A desert is a place where
grass never grow
Mother: Gud boi..gv example?
Akpors: Daddy's head
Apkos- ochuko i like your teeth.
Ochuko- Thank you. But why?
Akpos- it reminds me of a song called "Black and Yellow"
At the ATM... Akpos finished usin d machine.
The fellow behind says to him, "sir, I know ur PIN.
Akpos: *suprised* how come? I dnt believe u. Oya, if u know it, tell me".
Then fellow says, "I'm telling u I saw it just now, is it not xxxx ?"
Akpos laughs and says, "u don't know it jare, it is 5432".
The manager told him:
"...in here we give every customer personalized services and you have to be very observant so you know how to address their every need even before they ask"
Before the manager could finish, a couple walked through the hotel entrance and the manager quickly approached them, nicely took their baggage and said,
"Welcome Mr & Mrs James, it is our delight to have you in our hotel. Please come this way to the reception"
... and he led them to the reception.
After the couple had been taken care of, Akpos asked the manager,
"Has the couple been visiting this hotel before?"
"No" came the reply from the manager.
"So how come you knew their name?" asked Akpos.
"That is why I told you to be very observant. All I had to do was quickly look at the label on their baggage while I'm taking it from them and see the name on the tag".
"Oh, here comes another couple. Why don't you give it a try?"
"Ok" said Akpos and he hurriedly approached the couple, helped them with their luggage and said,
"Welcome Mr & Mrs SUPERIOR HAND MADE LEATHER! We are delighted to have you in our hotel..."
The manager fainted!
Teacher: "What do you call a bee that lives in America?"..
Akpos: "USB".
Akpors is right back from school,
tired and hungry
Mother: Akpors u are back?
Akpors: Yes mum..
Mother: What were u taught in
school 2day?
Akpors: It's agriculture
Mother: Which topic?
Akpors: Desert.!
Mother: What is desert?
Akpors: A desert is a place where
grass never grow
Mother: Gud boi..gv example?
Akpors: Daddy's head
Apkos- ochuko i like your teeth.
Ochuko- Thank you. But why?
Akpos- it reminds me of a song called "Black and Yellow"
At the ATM... Akpos finished usin d machine.
The fellow behind says to him, "sir, I know ur PIN.
Akpos: *suprised* how come? I dnt believe u. Oya, if u know it, tell me".
Then fellow says, "I'm telling u I saw it just now, is it not xxxx ?"
Akpos laughs and says, "u don't know it jare, it is 5432".
MITT ROMNEY ON THE 47%
Christina Gleason:
America is supposed to be the land of opportunity for all people. Regardless of how wealthy they are. As a civilized nation, we have a responsibility to our country’s less fortunate. If Mitt Romney’s father hadn’t received welfare back in the day, their family would never have had the opportunity to climb out of poverty for him to get where he is today. And now he spits in the face of the very thing that helped his family survive when they first moved to this country from Mexico.
Pat Werhan A country that helps its citizens, will be helped by its citizens.
America is supposed to be the land of opportunity for all people. Regardless of how wealthy they are. As a civilized nation, we have a responsibility to our country’s less fortunate. If Mitt Romney’s father hadn’t received welfare back in the day, their family would never have had the opportunity to climb out of poverty for him to get where he is today. And now he spits in the face of the very thing that helped his family survive when they first moved to this country from Mexico.
My politics is no secret. Mitt Romney’s contempt for America’s poor and his vow to dismantle the health care reform that has literally saved the lives of people I know… The upcoming movie musical Les Miserables inspired me.
The naive Fantine in the book, musical, and film was an unwed mother who couldn’t afford to raise her own child. She paid a couple she believed would care well for her daughter. But as it can happen now in adoptive and foster families, the couple was abusive…but Fantine didn’t know that. She took a job in a factory to pay for her child’s care. She worked hard until rumors that she was a whore (you know, because she was an unwed mother who must clearly be not only promiscuous, but immoral) got her fired. She was told her child was sick and dying, so she sold her jewelry, the only piece of material wealth that meant anything to her. She sold her hair. She even sold her front teeth. But still, she didn’t have enough to pay for what she believed would be the medicine to save her daughter’s life. She finally gave up the last shred of her dignity and prostituted herself, only to end up beaten by the john and arrested for trying to defend herself. She ends up dying of an untreated illness, likely tuberculosis, in the company of the only stranger who took pity on her, a former convict turned successful businessman by the name of Jean Valjean.
There’s a woman who took personal responsibility after being left by the man who had taken her innocence – she knew nothing of sex or pregnancy before it happened – to try to provide the best for her child, but found nothing but scorn and shame from others, forcing her to the most desperate of measures. There were no government safety nets in pre-revolutionary France. But even though we have safety nets in place today, the people who need help still face scorn, shame, and condemnation for those who have never wanted for anything. Bad things happen to good people. People try to climb out of the hole only to get kicked in the face again by politicians like Mitt Romney who fit the definitions of “lazy” and “entitled” far better than any working class person.
And you know what? People in the United States are entitled to food, to housing, to health care.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
America is supposed to be the land of opportunity for all people. Regardless of how wealthy they are. As a civilized nation, we have a responsibility to our country’s less fortunate. If Mitt Romney’s father hadn’t received welfare back in the day, their family would never have had the opportunity to climb out of poverty for him to get where he is today. And now he spits in the face of the very thing that helped his family survive when they first moved to this country from Mexico.
I dreamed a dream where we lived in a country where we supported one another, so we could all find at least small success in whatever it is we do without fear of going hungry, losing our homes, or watching our children die because we lost our jobs and our retirement funds when some wealthy business owner decided to bankrupt the company we worked for in order to avoid paying out pensions.
You may share this or place this graphic on your website as long as the watermark remains intact and you link to the original post (on WELL, in THIS House) as means of providing proper credit: http://wellinthishouse.com/pinteresting-now-mitt-romney-has-killed-the-dream-i-dreamed/5070/
As an added bonus, here is the trailer for the upcoming film version of Les Miserables, in which Anne Hathaway as Fantine sings “I Dreamed a Dream.”
Les Miserables lyrics by Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel (French lyrics), and Herbert Kretzmer (English adaptation) – No infringement is intended; Fair Use allows for commentary.
Funny Jon Stewart Response to Romney’s 47% Rant
*Warning** Video does contain some explicit language.
Thursday, 13 September 2012
HOW FAR DOES THE ROT GO?
Hello folks, hope you are all well again? It has been a very busy week and I hope you are not too stressed? It has been interesting watching the lastest drama unfold in various arms of our beloved government. The CBN governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (SLS) reacted to criticisms leveled against him by OBJ over the new N5,000 naira notes by calling the old general a good farmer but bad economist - as an economist myself I wonder what kind of economist we will call SLS.
But ehn that is not the gist today sha. The most interesting and shameful thing in the latest Naija episode occurred a couple of days ago. The Nigerian Paralympic team got back from doing us proud only to be rudely awakened by the notorious and monumental ineptitude that exists in all forms and levels of the government. At the Paralympic games, the team won 13 medals which includes 6 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze. They also made four world records, came third position in Africa and finished in the 22nd position in the world.
However when the 29-man team arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) at about 2.30pm on Tuesday afternoon, there was NO official of the National Sports Commission on hand to receive them. Come see as world record holder start to dey hustle to call family members and wheel themselves round the airport. Can you just imagine? People that would be held as national heroes in other countries (The last I heard Trinidad and Tobago gave an athlete £100,000 in cash, a luxury home, 20,000 acres of land and - best of all - a free lighthouse! while the Caribbean Airlines will name a plane after the him).
I am appalled at this new low by our government officials. The same Nigerian Sports Commission that used 1.2 million naira to open a Facebook page (sounds amazing but Google it), The same Olympic committee were we had more officials than athletes, the same Olympic squad were able bodied individuals could not bring home one single medal upon the colossal amounts spent. I wonder how many aides follow each person in government and how busy really is their schedule that they could not make time to greet these heroes? I just pray that our Paralympians will get the recognition and dues they deserve and that they continue to do us proud, it just goes to show that even people with one issue or the other can still be very useful and should be treated with dignity. I hope our clueless government will invest in Paralympic sports.
That is not the main issue oh, we are still investigating this rot. As some of you know, I am presently in the UK schooling to get a PhD in Economics. Well we thank God, I got invited for a conference in the good ole US of A. I immediately contacted the US embassy by phone and booked an appointment for a visa interview and then filled their forms online. In my department I have a friend who is also doing her PhD and needs to go to Nigeria in December, so she being from St Lucia in the Caribbeans has to apply for a Nigerian visa (I don't know why they need a visa to visit their motherland, but that will be for later); We have been calling the Nigerian embassy for a whole week and the phone keeps ringing - No one answers. I tried to redeem our image by going to the website myself and trying to apply online - story.
I never finish oh, I heard our first lady is ill and I am very sorry to hear that. I also heard that she was flown to Germany for medical attention. I was wondering when we were going to finally get it right; How many Nigerians have to die abroad before we finally decide to invest in our medical sector and bring the health service back on to international standards (I heard we were very good in the 80's or so)? I am not praying that anything untoward should happen to our dear Dame. But why is it that every-time we have our so called leaders flying abroad for medical check-up - remember Yar Adua and the others (R.I.P) ? How about the common man i.e you and me? Will the government fly us abroad for medical check-up too? Abi no be our money dem dey use? And the funny thing is that there are lots of Nigerians abroad doing excellent work in medicine and other sectors abroad, if only they had the opportunity to do the same at home.
Finally, I will quickly get to my point, I was reading "The Economist" this last week and they gave the Nigerian government a proper and well deserved bashing as well. The bone of contention was as usual - electricity. Prof Nnaji that brought some credibility to the whole privatization of the power sector had to resign because he felt that their were "conflict of interests" in the whole process. Nigeria has recently been experiencing some gains in the power sector even though they were slow under Prof Bath Nnaji, I really do not know all that happened but I know this; Nigeria and Brazil are relatively equal in terms of population but Nigeria produces about 5% of the electricity that Brazil produces and until we correct this we are going nowhere.
How about the National Honours List? The Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL) called a “joke,” the 2012 National Honours List published by the federal government. In a public statement signed by its President, Abdul Mahmud, PILL said that President Goodluck Jonathan would find it difficult to justify the names put forward by his government, and wondered why the nation’s cultural icons are not in it instead.“From discredited entrepreneurs whose stars faded as their enterprises, dubious politicians who fail democracy and the people, puny public servants, with no sense of service or commitment, who make governance what it is in our country today, to the everyday jesters who walk the quarters of political governance, they remind us that ours is Kamuzu Banda’s country,” PILL said. Calling on President Jonathan to end the joke, the group argued that National Honours are not about conferring honours on patronage-seekers and bootlickers.“It is about giving recognition to individuals who commit their lives of service to the community; and it is about recognizing the stellar patriots among us,” the statement said.
So what exactly am I saying? it seems that anything the Nigerian government is involved in is rotten and mismanaged. You can see this right from the airports, to the roads to the police force, to the state governments to the local governments to the lawmakers right up to the presidency itself. The whole system is grossly inefficient and lackadaisical. You hear it when they speak and in the kind of ideas they bring forward, you see it on NTA and in the various committee meetings. The people who are in charge of looking after our interests think they are doing us a favor by doing their jobs. They see the whole process as a money making venture with no need for efficiency and accountability. That's why all government offices, agencies and parastatals are very good at what they do - Nothing, looting, or just being inept.
Anyone who is really serious about making a positive change will have to face and get rid of that. God bless..
THE END OF POVERTY?
The aphorism "The poor are always with us" dates back to the New Testament, but while the phrase is still sadly apt in the 21st century, few seem to be able to explain why poverty is so widespread. Activist filmmaker Philippe Diaz examines the history and impact of economic inequality in the third world in the documentary The End of Poverty?, and makes the compelling argument that it's not an accident or simple bad luck that has created a growing underclass around the world.
Diaz traces the growth of global poverty back to colonization in the 15th century, and features interviews with a number of economists, sociologists, and historians who explain how poverty is the clear consequence of free-market economic policies that allow powerful nations to exploit poorercountries for their assets and keep money in the hands of the wealthy rather than distributing it more equitably to the people who have helped them gain their fortunes.
Diaz also explores how wealthy nations (especially the United States) seize a disproportionate share of the world's natural resources, and how this imbalance is having a dire impact on the environment as well as the economy. The End of Poverty? was an official selection at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
Diaz traces the growth of global poverty back to colonization in the 15th century, and features interviews with a number of economists, sociologists, and historians who explain how poverty is the clear consequence of free-market economic policies that allow powerful nations to exploit poorercountries for their assets and keep money in the hands of the wealthy rather than distributing it more equitably to the people who have helped them gain their fortunes.
Diaz also explores how wealthy nations (especially the United States) seize a disproportionate share of the world's natural resources, and how this imbalance is having a dire impact on the environment as well as the economy. The End of Poverty? was an official selection at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
Category:
License:
Standard YouTube License
HERE IS THE LINK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pktOXJr1vOQ&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1
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