Nigeria's New Export: Terrorism

Once every few years, I host a conference with the aim of bringing together great minds to dialog on specific social problems that are Africa's bane.  Our last conference - attended by citizens of 8 countries - was headlined by Professor Godwin Ohiwerei, a highly reputed American Sociologist of Nigerian descent.  Our mission at that conference was to take a look at the problem of corruption in Africa.  He opened his keynote address with the following words delivered in a very clear, stern and deliberate tone: "Nigeria is a failed state".  With those words, he sent a very strong message that his mission over the next hour and fifteen minutes was not to make anyone comfortable.  Instead, he was ready to tell it exactly as he saw it.  I was personally shocked for two reasons.  First, I felt that, by making that claim, Professor Ohiwerei had just stepped on a land mine.  Second, that is not the way that keynote addresses usually begin.  But then, he is a sociologist and the best of them do not beat around the bush and they are as good as anyone at backing up their claims - and Professor Ohiwerei is one of the best.  Take, for example, Douglass Massey & Nancy Denton's work titled American Apartheid: Segregation and The Making of An Underclass.  Most people would agree that the term apartheid is not one they would consider to be synonymous with American ideals and values.  Yet, I would like to see that individual who would not be moved in some way (either in the direction of consent or intense disagreement) after reading this work that examines the historical, social, political and economic realities of the housing system famously known as "the projects". Regardless of the place where one falls in relation to this work, it is impossible to argue that this work does not provoke a re-examination of personal and group thought.

Nigeria has been independent for just over 54 years but one wouldn't know it from the current state of the nation.  For several years, I suggested in lectures and private conversations that Nigeria's problems could be explained as part of the growing pains that lined the path of nation building and development.  I did that because I believed what I was saying but I was also somewhat aspirational about Nigeria, believing that it was a matter of time before the country was led in a different, more positive direction.  But the Nigeria that I defended and advocated for was the oil-rich nation that had a significant history of positive accomplishments; the Nigeria in which some political leaders were adults who may have enriched themselves through the offices that they held but also actually worked on issues such as education, understood questions of war and peace, potential concerns about religious intolerance, and paid some attention to social problems that had the capacity of derailing even the most seemingly stable communities in a heterogeneous nation like Nigeria.   In those days, Nigerians travelled out of the country to be educated only in the most respectable nations in the world.  After that, they returned home proudly, determined to play their part in the development of the country that they called home.  Those who chose not to return took up residence in the countries where they had studied, or in other countries, but their hearts were never far removed from home.  Not very long ago, Nigeria was an exporter of such talented skill that there was major concern about the potential of irreversible brain drain out of the country.

Time was when Nigeria provided financial and technical aid, and even supplied electricity, to many African countries.  Nigeria's role was even crucial to the eventual demise of apartheid in South Africa.  But that was then, and this is now.  As tends to happen under weak, irresponsible, careless and non-caring leadership, Nigeria is now a shattered country that no longer exports the resources from which it once derived respectability.  Instead, Nigeria has become a country that exports fear and death through terrorism to its neighbors.  Having cowered and conquered the will of the Nigerian government headed by President Goodluck Jonathan and his ill-equipped and historically corrupt military, Boko Haram began to feel powerful and courageous enough to extend their reach beyond Nigeria's borders.  Kidnapping hundreds of children, killing thousands of Nigeria's citizens and taking control over large portions of Nigeria's North were insufficient for Boko Haram, especially as the country's President allowed them to operate at will.  So they began to launch attacks in Cameroon in September 2014 that continue to result in the deaths of innocent people. While Cameroon continues to struggle and lose at the hands of Nigeria's new export, Nigeria's President campaigns for re-election without as much as a mention of Boko Haram's atrocities.  While citizens of his country are increasingly fleeing in large numbers and becoming refugees in the neighboring countries of Chad and Niger, the government of Nigeria seems content with the quality of its new export. Just last week, as many as 2000 people were reported killed in Baga - a town in Northern Nigeria.  Over a week later, President Jonathan was still being urged to end his silence on the massacre.  Rather than act, the Nigerian government has engaged in a losing argument that 150, not 2000, people were killed in Baga - as if a lower number makes it right.  Released satellite pictures of Baga before and after the massacre now show that the number of people that were viciously murdered was most certainly in the thousands.

This article is not about the incompetence of the President of Nigeria or about Nigeria's politics.  It is instead about the direction in which Nigeria has been led by people to whom the responsibility of leadership was handed by the people that they were supposed to protect, nurture and respect.  When a country that once exuded respectability and stability and exported talent and goodness begins to sow disappointment in its citizens and exports fear and death to its neighbors, it can hardly anymore argue that it is not a failed state because that is what a failed state looks like.

Terrorism: We Ignore Nigeria At Our Peril

* I wrote and published this blog article on February 20, 2012 - almost 2 years ago.  Considering the current state of security in Nigeria, as well as the focus of my next article, I thought it would be a good idea to re-publish this exactly as written in 2012 without adding or subtracting anything.  So, here we go:
                                          _______________________________

As the world pays attention to terribly violent events in the Middle East and the economic crises across Europe, it is easy to forget that much of the rest of the world is not at peace either. With all of the remarkable successes that the United States has attained in its effort at crushing Al-Qaeda around the world, it is crucial to remember a few facts. First, the ideology that created and drives the terrorist acts of Al-Qaeda is not dead. Secondly, the social and political realities within which a terrorist organization like Al-Qaeda thrives are alive and well, and in fact strengthening in some parts of the world where such might not have been expected before now.

One of such countries is Nigeria , arguably Africa's most famous and most populous country. Nigeria is a multicultural nation where people had lived in relative peace for several decades, despite significant religious and ethnic differences. In recent years, aspects of the Islamic North of Nigeria have become increasingly radicalized and this fact has been playing out as violent incidents resulting in several hundreds of deaths mostly across the Islamic North. Even without listing all of the incidents that have occurred over the last few years, most of the terrorist acts that have occurred in Nigeria over the past few months should concern everyone. In August 2011, the UN Building in the nation's capital of Abuja was attacked by a suicide bomber who left carnage in his wake. It was not long before the attack was linked to Boko Haram, an Islamic sect in Northern Nigeria that openly sympathizes with Al-Qaeda. Then on Christmas day in 2011, the same Islamic sect claimed responsibility for the bombing of churches that killed dozens of worshipping Christians in Northern Nigeria. Then in January 2012, the same Islamic sect carried out orchestrated bombing attacks in Kano, one of Nigeria's largest and most historic cities and killed almost 200 people.

Before, between and since all of these attacks, the same group has carried out several less-reported attacks. There are several reasons why this is important. First, investigative reports, including some published by UK's Daily Telegraph, have established a link between Al-Qaeda and Nigeria's Boko Haram. Secondly, the government of Nigeria is corrupt and too inept to successfully handle the challenges of Boko Haram. Thirdly, Western politicians who believe that Africa is not in the security interest of the West are ignorant and will deserve blame if terrorism strengthens in that part of the world beyond its current state. Fourth, if Nigeria explodes, so could the rest of Africa. Even for that alone, the rest of the world must not stand by and watch innocent Nigerians get killed by terrorists driven by the same ideology that has wreaked extensive horror in so many parts of the world.

Governor Mario Cuomo, A Conscientious Political Giant, Dead at 82

Former New York State Governor, Mario Cuomo, has died at age 82, just hours after his son's second inauguration as governor. It is not an accident that even NY newspapers that are usually unapologetically hostile to liberals are singing Mr. Cuomo's praises today - and each has him on its front cover, with one referring to him simply as "Super Mario".  A consistent liberal, a highly efficient governor, a charismatic and graceful leader with a captivatingly brilliant mind, Cuomo was a governor like none that has occupied that office in almost any state in our nation since his time. Most people may remember him for his oratorical skills and his refusal to run for the Presidency of the United States despite very popular demand.  That refusal earned him the nickname “Hamlet of the Hudson”.  Personally, I will remember him as a giant who was tuned into the plight of the least among his constituents and unabashedly defended his belief that government could, and should be, used for good.  Even his opponents knew where he stood and his vision of America included all of humanity.  Certainly, Mario Cuomo was ahead of his time, and no wonder he is being universally praised today. 

I have often wondered what our nation and our world would be like today had Governor Cuomo at any time occupied the office of President of the United States.  Would he have transformed the United States with his vision, his intellect and the liberal policies that he championed - which we know to be effective?  Might he have been able to tackle poverty and brought the plight of the less privileged to the forefront of political debates in this country?  Would he have been able to teach African leaders the lesson that their parents may not have taught them - that they have responsibility to the people that they govern? Indeed, we will never know.  However, here is what I think: If his son, the current New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo, ever decides to become half the genuine, respectable and selfless man that his father was even in politics, he too would be great and would have a chance to influence our world in more ways than his father did.  So far, indications are that Andrew Cuomo is more willing to calculate his political risks than to wear his father’s shoes and trek the giant’s exact path. 

Rest in peace, Governor Cuomo, and thank you for your committed service.

Murder Is No Solution To Systemic Injustice

There is no justification for the murder of any police officer - as happened in Brooklyn, NY on December 20, 2014. Such an act only becomes an excuse for hateful supporters of oppression to shout louder in their quest to repress others. We should not want a society where, by killing others that we dislike, we all become blind to the direction of the hand of justice. 

The killer of the 2 NYPD police officers who we now know were both wonderful individuals was, as we also now know, a mentally ill man with documented evidence of multiple psychiatric hospitalizations who was able to get his hands on a gun. One of the murdered cops was a recently married man whose wife is now a widow even before she experiences the joy of marriage to the love of her life. The other, a recently certified Christian Chaplain was a father of two. 

The same people who always tell us after every mass murder that the only issue at stake is mental illness now prefer to deny that mental illness played a part in these murders. They want us to believe that the only issue here is revenge killing by a man with some race-propelled vendetta against police officers.  Here is the truth: the only issue here is the infinite availability of guns in our society. We should stop giving cover to the NRA and their supporters whenever these senseless but avoidable tragedies occur. 

Now, we have two good men who will not be at the table with their families this Christmas. As a society, we should all bury our heads in shame. May their souls rest in perfect peace. 

The Police Versus Society

If you are over 10 years old, male, poor and/or a member of a racial/ethnic minority group anywhere in the world and have never been abused, lied against, killed by a police officer or known someone who has, you should count yourself very fortunate and pray that this continues to be the case.  

The composition of people demonstrating across the United States in reaction to the (in)action following recent police murders are teaching us what some people don't want us to learn: that this is not just a racial matter; it is instead a matter of humanity and a question of what kind of world we want to live in. Those who prefer to maintain the unintelligent argument that the victims of police bullets die because they resist arrest need to ask themselves what arrest attempts or orders 12 year-old Tamir Rice of Cleveland resisted from a cop who came out of a cruiser shooting at him and killing him within 2 seconds of the cruiser arriving where the child was. What orders did Akai Gurley resist when he walked innocently into the hallway of his NYC housing with his girlfriend and was immediately murdered by a police officer without even as much as word spoken between him and the cop? 

The time for making excuses for police officers should be history. We do not pay or arm them to kill us. They should protect us from criminals; not be the criminals. We shouldn't have to fear the police more than we fear criminals.  For as long as our society (indeed our world) continues to make excuses for irresponsible, self-absorbed, empty, blood-hungry and racist police officers, for so long shall we continue to be victims of their abuses. Enough is enough!

Professor J.F. Ade Ajayi (May 26, 1929 - August 9, 2014): An Iconic Scholar Departs

My cousin is an esteemed Professor of Law and Dean of Postgraduate Studies in one of Nigeria's most respectable universities.  About a week ago, he and I had a fond conversation about Professor J. F. Ade Ajayi, a scholar who was clearly in a league of his own.  Two days after that conversation, I received a text message from a dear friend of mine who is a Professor of Agriculture also in one of Nigeria's top universities.  It was a brief text but the message was resounding: "The great Prof. Ade Ajayi, the icon who was your professor has died.  He was 85 years old.  May his soul rest in peace". 

As one of the greatest historians that have ever walked the face of this earth, Professor Ade Ajayi was a scholar in every description of that word.  There were no bounds to his knowledge of African history and his devotion to the teaching and advancement of historiography as a focus of the academic discipline of History around the world was without parallel.  He was not only a very handsome man but he was graceful, quiet, humble and polite beyond compare.  Yet, even other Professors who worked with him knew that the stage belonged to him - and they reverenced him.  So also did he command the respect of historians all over the world who had any interest in African history.  It is impossible for Wikipedia to fully capture the essence of Professor Ade Ajayi but I am confident that I speak for thousands when I say that those of us who knew him, and studied under him, will never forget who he was and what he meant to our individual development.

One of the greatest blessings of my life in academics was to have had the privilege of being Professor Ade Ajayi's student at the Ibadan School of History (in the University of Ibadan) over three decades ago.  Thanks to his contributions to scholarship and his presence there, the quality of scholarship that came out of Ibadan made the Ibadan School of History the most highly regarded Department of History of any university anywhere in Africa.  Never a man to engage in trivialities, Professor Ade Ajayi walked and worked with a mission and maintained the kind of commitment to purpose that would be expected of anyone who knew what the cause of his life was. 

Having lived his life and done his job, the great Professor J. F. Ade Ajayi is now at rest.  He is being eulogized by world leaders and scholars.  That is a very good thing.  I hope, however, that the classy and committed life that he lived would serve as a reminder to African leaders and scholars (and indeed all of us) that we each have a responsibility to our world - and that the works of our hands live beyond our years. 

Adieu Professor J. F. Ade Ajayi.  Rest well sir, and thank you for giving of yourself as much as you did to a society and world that needed your presence and your God-given skills.

Taking Advantage of the Vulnerable

Evangelical pastors and so-called healers everywhere need to stop lying to their congregations about politics, health, and even about Christianity. Some things are matters of life and death. I have been reading too many lies coming out of Nigeria about the Ebola virus. It is not easy to contract Ebola and the so-called cures being claimed by so-called healers are deceptive and propelled by insensitivity and the desire for fame and wealth, I think. One of those claims is asking people to drink warm salt water daily to prevent Ebola. Nigerians are already being killed in large numbers daily by high blood pressure and other diseases that are made worse by salt. Now their evangelical pastors and other so-called healers are telling them to consume more salt! Incredible stuff!