How Come?

Most civilised societies are united in their hatred and revulsion of the actions of Hitler and his barbaric SS army. We even erect permanent monuments to condemn their deeds, especially the inhuman extermination of 6 million Jews or make that Jews, Poles, Russians or Gypsies – whatever version you subscribe to.

We feel so strongly that society should not have to go through those dark days again and we entrench a yearly remembrance in our national diaries to ensure we do not forget.

A good and worthy thing I say, but it does leave me wondering why another seismic and tragic period relatively goes unmarked or even noted during our global moments of deep reflection. Could it be that those whose forefathers were responsible for such acts, are proficient at remembering other people’s evil deeds, but at the same time very slow to remember theirs.

Is it possible that human beings are only remembered when they are deemed to be worthy of remembrance? Or maybe it is just too embarrassing to acknowledge. After all, what ammunition would we have to shoot down the Germans (a global pastime) if we ourselves, have to admit our complicity in the extortion and near destruction of a people?

You see sometimes, I believe I do not have the moral authority to pursue this issue, especially as everyone knows African leaders - just like in the present day - were complicit in and benefited from, the rape of their own people. How can I condemn what the Europeans did, when my own people were complicit in selling each other out? But then I have come across stories of Jew giving up Jew in Nazi Germany, so I am able to comfortably refocus on the plight of those slaves that had to withstand another example of Man’s inhumanity to man.

I will keep asking, if only to ensure that the West never forgets. Just like it has never forgotten any transgression against its own people, no matter how long ago it occurred. So, you can imagine my chagrin, when one of my English colleagues once said to me;

"Come on you guys need to get over it!"

I had no choice but to hit back;

"We would the moment you quit talking about what the Japanese did to your soldiers in that World war!"

As you can imagine, it was not my most popular moment.

Saying that, I hold on to this truth; that the recounting of an evil perpetuated in the past, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us feel, does not indicate angst or a desire for revenge, mostly it relects a desire within the human spirit to understand whence we came, so we can define where we end up and ensure those events do not reoccur.

Our need to get people to stop talking about their past, because it reminds us of our capacity to be inhuman, is just a defence mechanism that Man has perfected. For those who would claim they have gotten over it, please endeavour to learn more about the period, for there is no forgiveness until you fully comprehend what you are forgiving.

A good start will be this book; If We Must Die: Shipboard Insurrections in the Era of the Atlantic Slave Trade by Eric Robert Taylor . For my part, it has never been about us getting over anything. It has and should always be about no one getting over it.  Especially, those who are hell-bent on us forgetting.

One thing really worries me though; what has really happened to the approximately 4 million black souls tossed aboard into the Atlantic at the slightest sign of illness or revolt. Do they wander the high seas aimlessly confused or are they in the afterlife comparing notes with the asphyxiated and poisoned from Auschwitz?

I wonder if they are asking them – How come they remember you and forget us?

Look and Laugh!

Just when most Nigerians are questioning the purpose of a federal government that appears to be directionless at best or comatose at worst, we have now been handed down the latest in a series of unfathomable directives, which clearly shows our days of worrying are far from over.

For those who might not be aware, the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday this week, announced the withdrawal of police orderlies for the following; Justices of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge and Grand Khadi of a state, President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Judges of the Federal High Court, FCT and state high courts, Khadis of Sharia Court of Appeal, Judges of Customary Court of Appeal and Magistrates. The list also includes; Special advisers, Assistants and other principal staff of the President and Vice-President, Secretaries to state governments; State heads of service, Commissioners and Principal staff of state governors.

Just so you are in the know, the following will still keep their security; President, Vice-President, Chief Justice of the Federation, State governors, Deputy governors, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, President of the Court of Appeal, Head of Service of the Federation and Ministers.

So, the Justices of the Courts of Appeal who are the ones responsible for passing down judgements in such high-profile cases like the State governorship tussles, will no longer have security, but a Minister who for the best will in the world, is not in what one would consider a security challenged role, will have their police ordelies in place. Also, consider that all members of the FEC get to keep their security, then you have governance Nigerian-style.

What leaves me totally befuddled is the 'same world, different planet' mentality that this government appears to operate on. Do these people not live in Nigeria? Okay, let's break it down; aside from the Power crisis, what is Nigeria's most prevailing challenge? I will take a guess and say you have just mentioned the word 'security', so how is it that those who are supposed to be leading us to the promised land, have gone off on a different tangent? Of all the social issues affecting our ailing nation, where does this fit in? Who does it help? The Judge who will now sleep with both eyes open (he slept with just one when he had an orderly!), or the criminal who now knows that the path to retribution, has been cleared further for his nefarious benefit?

My late father used to be a Judge before he passed away in 2000, and I can assure you family members of those who sit on the Nigerian judiciary are always relieved to see the alloted policeman who is never too far away. They are aware that even though it might not provide infallible security (what does?), it bears the appearance of some level of protection, just in case an aggrieved party decides to take the law into their hands. I would have thought the obvious dangers of having no security were self-evident, but I guess not....not in Nigeria anyway. In Nigeria, we allocate police orderlies to foreigners (remember the picture of that mobile policeman holding the umbrella over the Chinese man), business people of dubious character, but leave those who are in clear and present danger, fallowing in the cold. We have clearly lost our way.

As expected, the directive has been challenged by the usual suspects; i.e the NBA, opposition political parties and the odd good egg in the PDP, so who knows, we might actually get a reprieve from out populist leader who afterall won more than 70% of our votes. For my part, as I am in no way connected or privy to the level of authority needed to reverse the decision, I will just do what Fela told us to do in these situations.

The God Business

"Faith is different from proof; the latter is human, the former is a Gift from God."

Blaise Pascal - 17th Century Philosopher, Mathematician and author of Pascal's Wager






As calm descends upon the land following the latest storm brewed and unleashed on Nigerian 'Christendom' following the news of RCCG's purchase of a private jet for its Overseer (see Newsweek profile), one cannot sit aside and not comment on the things we do and say, in the name of the most high.

It has now become apparent that the exponents of religion in all their guises, are increasingly under fire and predictable scrutiny.

The Pope, for his insistence in Angola, that condoms should not be used, even in the face of the ravaging spread of HIV-Aids in the African continent, coupled with his somewhat lame reaction to the paedophilia rampant amongst certain Catholic dioceses.

The Ayatollahs in far flung places, who some see as complicit in the current instability around the world and the current school of Pentecostal pastors, who seem to live in a different world from the millions of their followers.

I believe it is prudent though, to begin by stating I have no stake in either side of the argument and unlike some, I do not have the time or inclination to get all worked up about issues surrounding the choices that a religious body, polity or entity make. Do not misunderstand me, I have my ideas on the morality or lack of, on those choices, but I refuse to increase my heart rate, because, to paraphrase Fela: 'you will die for nothing.'

Some things I believe are self-evident, irrespective of the religion one follows. The central theme at least 99% of the time, is the existence of a Supreme Being and basically, that Being has passed down 'a way of life,' for the benefit of mankind.

Also, at it turns out, that Supreme Being also sends us a prophet to educate us on that way of life. The Muslims have Muhammad, the Christians have Christ and the Buddhists have Buddha, just to name a few.

Now, although I am not the most religious person in the world, I prefer to believe that the Supreme Being(s) in all the different ways of life listed above, want(s) man to live in harmony and move closer to him (or her....for there are those who believe that God is not male).

Bottom line, for man to prosper, he has to adhere to the tenets of his Supreme Being. These facts of mine, I believe to be indubitable and I hold steadfastly to them under the protection of creative license.

But getting back to the issue at hand, how is it that something so pure and so devoid of hate, handed down to us by a force most believe to be all-knowing and all-encompassing, has now been pummeled beyond recognition after a few centuries in the hands of Man?

Some enraged observers even ask how it is acceptable for certain individuals who purport to be men of God, to openly live above reproach and appear to gloat shamelessly in the process. Of course, those who make the mistake of putting that poser to a room full of Pentecostals, will most definitely feel the full force of 1 Chronicles 16:22 and trust me, it is a force frequently deployed and effectively too!

Some Muslims for their part, are prepared to be friendly towards an 'unbeliever', but if you dare to cross the line when it comes to the issue of God and begin to paint a picture he or she doesn't recognise, his comeback is firm and uncompromising; "La ilaha ill Allah".....end of story.

All we seem to do now is argue back and forth as to whose religion is superior and how our beliefs are the only ones guaranteed to get people to that cosy place in heaven. Jews, Muslims and Christians  all engaged in a constant bickering as to the concept of God, with each side resolute in their version of the 'truth'. It is a complete mess!

My overwhelming hope is that one day, we all begin to realise that God gave us a way to live our lives, but just like our foremost ancestor (depending on what you believe), we have managed to move away from that message and just like he acted in that 'beautiful garden', we have chosen to embrace reckless emotion.

We have taken his wish for us and turned it into all these religions. We produce emotional outbursts when anyone disagrees with us, vitriolic missiles are fired, sometimes fatally, in the direction of those who refuse to accept our way of life.

But this is my modest take on the issue.

God is Love and no matter how you spin it, he wants his people to live pious, clean and the type of lifestyle that will flatter and compliment him. That Man has decided to create the cesspit we currently find ourselves, is down to the fact that we have forgotten the role of faith and the critical issue of that individual relationship with the Almighty.

Religion is a private thing and if you do believe in God, I would like to wager that he will judge you on your  deeds and no extra brownie points will be given for bashing the other man's religion or lifestyle.

 If the Muslim decides to cover her body from head to toe and spend all of her (or his) money on pursuing the upliftment of Islam, as long as no resident rules are broken, it is not for anyone else to judge. Likewise, if the Christian decides to buy a satellite in the sky to ensure he can spread his message universally and whilst at it, decides to purchase a G5 or space shuttle to extend the spread of that message, so be it!

They are working to their belief.....It's their faith and it is between them and their God!

In the Face of Royalty

The eagle-eyed amongst the readers of this blog (sometimes I wonder if there any!), would have noticed there was no entry for yesterday. Unfortunately, I had not given notice of that possibility, so I do apologise if indeed there was anyone wreaked with disappointment. Actually, I had taken the day off in respect to a friend who passed away 5 years ago yesterday, but who still remains one of the richest sources of inspiration for most things I do with my writing.

Joe was sixty and in the 'dawn of his life' (his words, not mine) when I first met him at Gatwick Airport, during my civil service days. He had a thing for Africa, defying his very Jewish family to travel to various countries in the 'magical continent' as he often described it. His list of visited towns, villages and cities, made you realise you were in the presence of a true world citizen. When a European recounts their 1957 trip down dirt paths in Aba, Jos and Osogbo, just to name a few, one is left with nothing but awe....well, at least I was.

So, how did chats about travelling in Africa progress to a strong relationship? Well, Joe was also a keen follower of politics and had some interesting views on world events, which he jotted down and espoused passionately during our lunch breaks. This meant what began as a simple 'hello' in 1996 had now morphed into a combative 30 minute daily session in 1998, which had now began to attract other colleagues. Unknown to the onlooking observers though, the sessions had continued after work on the train between the one-stop of Gatwick and Three Bridges, and then for a few more minutes before Joe turned into his street. We had become pugilists in a ring with no ropes and our relationship grew from strength to strength. I had even been present at a family meal, when Joe's nephew had brought home his Eithopian girlfriend to the consternation of his parents. Joe's brother, Isaac, a very conservative man, had blamed Joe's negative influence as a factor in his son's decision and he did not hold back.

"I don't think this would have happened, if it wasn't for all your mumbo-jumbo nonsense. I had to put with my niece marrrying a foreigner and now this?"

Joe, for his part was resolute; "the fact that my daughter married outside her race is not down to anything I did, it's what she wanted. I brought her up as free thinker, not a shackled slave to my ideas! Also, please feel free to ignore the presence of our foreign guests, Isaac," he screamed loudly. "You should be grateful your son has a mind of his own and has not ended up like you!"

Of course, on that occasion I had wished we were not so close, as it become obvious that my presence wasn't exactly helping. The meal was fantastic and full of unknown delights, but I was left with no other option than to rush the contents of my plate, to the displeasure of Sara, Isaac's lovely wife. But worse was to come.....

Isaac, a royalist had taken exception at the African head of state on the TV, who had not bowed when receiving Prince Charles. He was apopletic; "why can't this people show respect in the presence of royalty? We introduce these people to civillisation and this is how they repay us? They are like the Arabs; bloody ungrateful!"

Of course, pandemonium descended on the house, with Joe and Isaac at each other's throat. In the ensuing drama, I had begun to negotiate my exit and I was on the way to success, when Isaac threw me a wobbly;

"Kanmi, you will bow if you met our royalty, wouldn't you?"

I found myself stuck to the spot, like a rabbit caught in headlights...but I had to come back.

"Your royalty, Isaac? I don't know, would you bow if you met Nigerian royalty?"

He looked at me with narrowed eyes and cursed under his breath. Joe was jumping up and down with joy. He could not resist, as his tongue let loose.

"What a comeback! Come on Isaac, give our 'foreign' friend an answer. Okay, I will apply some brotherly love and assist. Kanmi, his answer is no, which is good. For my part, I did bow to deities and chiefs in Africa, but I would never bow down to desendants of Germans, just because they are the accepted face of royalty in this isle!"

As it turned out, Joe and I had now become the unaccepted faces in Isaac's home. As we walked out of the house, Joe turned round to me, deep in thought, before asking;

"Seriously, would you bow to any member of the royal family just because you inhabit this country and would you ever see them in the same regal light that you view the royals in Nigeria?"

It was a good question and when asked without the ambient pressure of our previous host's home, it was a question I found surprisingly hard to answer honestly . Even today, as I continue to miss Joe, I still cannot tell you what I would do if I met the Queen or Prince Charles, although, I have no doubts that I will remain postrate in presence of the Ooni of Ife. It's my Yoruba blood....can't help it.

So, to bow or not to bow, where do you stand?

When the End comes....

"Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive." - Ecclesiastes 4:2 (King James Bible)


When I decided to begin this blog, I had just finished the last entry of a previous one (www.obamadrama.blogspot.com - a spoof of Obama's daily diary during the Election '08 campaign process). I was out of creative juice, but felt a strong need to have a medium where Nigerians and Non-Nigerians alike, could begin to appreciate the promise and possibilities of the much maligned nation. I am a strong believer in the fact that all people share similar traits and rather than destroy each other with harsh words, we could identify what holds us together and understand each other's promise, in spite of our obvious challenges. Yes, some Nigerians will make you ashamed to be Nigerian, but the same can go for the American, Brit or Russian. The main thing to remember is that the sole thing worth pursuing is the collective strand of goodness that runs through all of us, irrespective of race, religion or creed.

So, as this morning edges in and the countdown to the end of the day begins, a large proportion of the earth's inhabitants are probably thanking their lucky stars, for despite the Credit Crunch, they have a chance to carry on in life's amazing journey. A large majority see the demise of the likes of Jane Goody, Natasha Richardson, the young girl or boy next door and the anguish of those family members left behind, and realise; there but for the grace of God goes I. The accolades for the deceased celebrities mentioned above, have been overwhelming and we have been bombarded through TV, print and the internet - our pain is collective and deep. In Natasha's death we see a life unecessarily wasted and in Jade's, a tragic story that came to an even more tragic end on Mother's Day.

As the grief consumes the airwaves, I am left to reflect on the intensity (Jane Goody had a 16 page tribute in a UK tabloid today!)of it and the blatant opposite nature of that coverage as against the words directed at the same celebrities during their lifetime. Why is it that human beings always reserve kind words until a life expires? Cast your mind to your living family members and ask how many times you have truly said something nice to any of them. Look around your workplace and query whether you have fully transported the regard and appreciation you feel for your colleagues. Do people around you know that they are as talented, gracious or as nice as you believe or know they are? Or are you waiting for them to die before you spread the word? Harsh question I know, but true.

As I stated in the opening paragraph, there is a need for a collective good. I am yet to hear of a culture where the people praise their living as much as their dead, but I believe it is a trait worth adopting as we move forward. No one has ever done any harm with praise, at least not as much harm as 'No praise' at all. Do not delay your capacity to be nice and appreciative of someone close today - I am not praying for it, but it could be their last......or for that matter, yours.

The Limit is the Sky!

Tidjane Thiam

Rarely do I ever update my blog twice in a day, but I have decided to push that rule aside today in the face of some historic news emanating from the City. In what can only be described as historic(well, it bloody is!), a FTSE 100 company has or the first time ever, appointed a black person as their CEO! And guess what the best part is, he was not even born or educated in the UK. I know you are probably wondering why that is the best part, but let me assure you as someone who has spent two decades on this isle, it is refreshing to know 'foreigners' can shatter the glass ceiling in the land of Cromwell.

Tidjane Thiam is a french educated Ivorien and will become the CEO of Prudential in October 2009. His resume is impressive:

* March 2009: Appointed successor to Prudential CEO Mark Tucker
* Named second most influential black Briton in 2008
* Chief executive, Europe at insurance giant Aviva
* Partner with management consultants McKinsey & Company
* Chief executive, National Bureau for Technical Studies and Development, Ivory Coast
* Minister of Planning and Development in Ivory Coast government
* Studied engineering in Paris and gained MBA from INSEAD


For the Black historians amongst us, Franklin Delano Raines was the first CEO of a Fortune 500 company - Fannie Mae (yes, the infamous Fannie Mae!). That was in 1999, but today, 19 Fortune 500 companies are run by people of colour.

Five Fortune 500 CEOs are Black:

Kenneth I. Chenault, American Express

Ronald Williams, Aetna

Clarence Otis, Darden Restaurants

John Thompson, Symantec

Rodney O'Neal, Delphi

Seven Fortune 500 CEOs are Latino:

Antonio Perez, Eastman Kodak Co.

Alain J.P. Belda, Alcoa

Cristóbal I. Conde, SunGard Data Systems

José Maria Alapont, Federal-Mogul

Fernando Aquirre, Chiquita Brands

Alvaro G. de Molina, GMAC

William Perez, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.

Seven Fortune 500 CEOs are Asian, including two women:

Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo

Vikram S. Pandit, Citigroup

Ramani Ayer, Hartford Financial Services

Andrea Jung, Avon Products

Rajiv L. Gupta, Rohm and Haas

Surya N. Mohapatra, Quest Diagnostics

Jerry Yang, Yahoo!

To my mind, this latest appointment goes a long way to let the naysayers (I have been in that number) realise that it is all within our grasp. Who knows what next.....10 Downing Street? Okay,I went too far...or did I? In the final analysis, as seen with the election of Barack Obama, belief and hard work is everything. Every human being is an unstoppable force and when one looks closely, it becomes obvious that the only person stopping you, might be yourself!

Deadlin....

Today leaves with me with four days to the deadline of finishing a project overdue for publication. The publishers have badgered me with the consistency of a woodpecker, constantly reminding me of the date slippage. The interesting thing from my perspective is this; I can easily complete the task ahead of me and cast my rampant mind on some other project, but I suffer from the dreaded disease that afflicts most creative minds; Procrastination.


If Planning and Execution were countries, I would be the King of Planning and the Minister in charge of Planning in Execution. I am a master in shelving things and pushing dates back to the end of eternity; if time allows me of course. Unfortunately, this trait has been identified as what separates those who achieve things and those who don’t. So I have decided to turn a new leaf, if not for the success, at least for the sake of my kids being proud of their Dad.

Currently, there are five different projects with no end dates in sight. The eclectic nature of the work means, one has to almost develop different personalities to deliver each task. Enter a close friend and aspiring Life coach, who on hearing my dilemma, gave me some tips on conquering my affliction. The easy guide laid out the most obvious tips which each and every one of us could adopt, with no fracture to our normal day to day activities. Unfortunately, she could not resist a few barbs in my direction;

“Castro(that's my nickname you see), this is not a big problem. Just look at this way, if you were a country, your name would be Nigeria! The good thing in your case is the fact that you are not surrounded by friends with the same trait, otherwise a collective name for your mob could be Africa!”

Of course, I had to swallow my pride and let it go. She had taken time out of her valuable schedule to help me for free, so I guess verbal diarrhoea was to be expected. Besides, she is also Nigerian, although she swears God played a cruel trick on her, as she was originally destined for the West Indies. My initial reaction to that was; “what is the bloody difference?!” In any case, I held my tongue and concentrated on her plan. Basically, it was all about delivering one’s project in phases/ stages and more importantly, understanding that completion must be the end point of inception. So, for instance, if you have a twenty chapter thesis to submit in two weeks, and you finish seventeen chapters in the first week, but fail to deliver the other three before the deadline, you have failed. Alternatively, if you have a plan for delivering two chapters a day and you stick to it, you will complete your task, with a few days to spare. Simple really….

But I know what you are thinking. If I know all these facts and I am also willing to admit I have this problem, why am I still lagging behind with this current task? Good questions guys….

I don’t know really, but I am coming up with a plan to answer that question. Oh, by the way, my close friends call me ‘Mr President,’ but you call me Umaru!