Sahara Reporters Latest News Tuesday 19th March 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 19/03/19
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target=_blank>Combatting Rogue Pastors and Commercialization in South Africa By Leo Igwe
The title of a local movie, the Fake Prophet, that was distributed in Nigeria as part of the campaign against child witchcraft accusation in the country, made me curious. Those behind this project had the best of intentions- to educate and enlighten people regarding the fraudulent claims by witch branding pastors. They wanted to expose the tricks of self styled men and women of God, the manipulations of clerics who claimed to have supernatural powers and employ such pretensions to deceive, abuse and exploit gullible folks.
Still that the title of this film did not sit well with me and constantly agitated my mind. Too many times I queried: What does a fake prophet mean? Is that not a tautology? Which prophet is not fake?
Are there genuine prophets and prophecies? Can one really make a distinction between fake and genuine prophets?
Recently, I have had to contend with these similar questions in trying to understand South Africa’s ongoing efforts to tackle bogus pastors and the commercialization of religion. South Africa has gone to the extent of setting up a commission to curb these dangerous practices. Take note, by South African definition, commercialization of religion is a harmful enterprise. In pursuant to this project, church leaders have been investigated and sanctioned for reckless and irresponsible religious claims and practices, or for violating the rights of their members. One of such pastors sprayed insecticides on the congregants during prayers.
So I totally concur with the President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, who has recently urged a conversation about how to deal with bogus pastors.
But the problem is: how does one define a bogus pastor? To curb the commercialization of religion or to hold rogue clerics accountable, it is important to explain what is meant by commercialization of religion or a bogus pastor.
As in the case of the Fake Prophet, there is lack of clarity in the usage and application of these terminologies. And this conceptual vagueness or ambiguity needs to be dealt with in order to adequately situate, understand and address dangerous religious practices in the region.
First, on the issue of commercialization of religion, South Africa wants to combat religious profiteering. The country is trying to curb the exploitation of vulnerable people or better, the mercantilist religious schemes of pastors who promise blessings or miracles at a fee. This is quite commendable. But how far can South Africa go in fulfilling this objective? How does South Africa differentiate commercialized from non-commercialized forms of religious expressions? What are the assurances that this project is not a form of witch-hunt, that only targets some pastors, prophets and churches and not others?
This is because commerce has been the main driver of religious growth in Africa and the world. While presenting itself as a charitable or humanitarian program, religion has always been a commercial enterprise, that profits religious establishments. In fact, traditional, Christian, and Islamic religions are transnational business empires and have thrived by marketing blessing, prophecies, and prayers. Religious business mainly thrives on bogus supernatural claims. Christian churches and mosques owe their enormous wealth and money to the sale of religious goods and transcendental schemes.
While President Ramaphosa of South Africa was right in urging a discussion on bogus pastors and their dangerous practices, the problem remains: What does he mean by bogus pastors? What are the criteria for determining rogue clerics and their questionable religious claims? It must be recalled that Ramaphosa made this remark in reaction to the controversy over Pastor Alph Lukau’s resurrection claim.
Now let’s take a closer look at this Lukau’s case. In a widely circulated video, Pastor Lukau claimed to have brought a dead man back to life. He was seen telling a man in a coffin, rise up! And in reaction to this incident, Lukau has been widely mocked and criticized. In fact another South Africa prophet has challenged him over the resurrection claim urging Lukau to go raise the late Nelson Mandela. Many other South African pastors and prophets have made very bizarre and controversial religious claims.
Now let’s not forget, stories of resurrection and other counter-intuitive notions exist in Christianity and constitute the pillars of various religious traditions. Regarded as articles of faith, these claims are rarely called to question or subjected to critical examination as in the case of Lukau. Mainline priests, bishops, sheikhs, imams, and ulamas are not challenged for promoting these Lukau-like ideas and performances. They are usually not pilloried for promoting dubious questionable religious claims.
Whilst African Christians believe that Jesus resurrected from the dead or that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they are ready to mock and dispute the resurrection claims of Lukau and other African prophets, designating them as bogus and fake.
In fact how does the idea of a fake resurrection claim make sense to anyone? Is there any resurrection claim – including that of Jesus – that is not fake? Out of deference to their faith or others’, Africans are unwilling to challenge established Christian or Islamicresurrection/revelation claims. Africans seldom mock mainstream Christian or Islamic versions of fake, dubious and stage-managed resurrection, ascension and revelation narratives. This amounts to adouble standard and could undermine the credibility of the campaign against dangerous religious practices in South Africa.
To succeed in tackling rogue pastors and commercialization of religion, South Africa must advance a clear and unequivocal definition of bogus pastors and commercialized religions. The country should apply these definitions to all clerics (self or other styled) and to all religions in the country without fear or favour.
South Africa should not privilege some bogus pastors/prophets/imams over others; some fake resurrection/ascension/revelation claims over others; some religious exploitative and extortionist schemes over others.
South Africa must be unbiased in combating both mainstream and fringe forms of commercialization of religions and religious skulduggery.
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target=_blank>A Giant Called Pius Adesanmi By SOS/Sonala Olumhense
Sonala Olumhense Syndicated
Sonala Olumhense Syndicated
I never met Pius Adesanmi, the remarkable Nigerian icon who died in the Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash last weekend.
But we were part of an NVS editorial board for a while, and I read much of his writings. I knew his spirit. And his heart.
It is why I understand why his death has hit so many people so hard and so personally that there are remembrances being held in so many places around the world.
Sadly, those who lose the most by his passing, particularly Nigeria’s poor and exploited, did not know him. And ironically, those who gain the most will be the scavenging and ruthless social and political manipulators that were at the receiving end of his work, wit and wisdom.
It is good, then, that while death may not end the journey God begins for each human being, it does sever the consciousness of the departed with earthliness. Otherwise imagine how outraged Adesanmi might have been upon discovering that President Muhammadu Buhari, who didn’t know he existed while he existed, described him and Ambassador Abiodun Bashua, another Nigerian who died in the crash, as “distinguished Nigerians who did the nation proud in their professional endeavors.”
Did Nigeria proud?
I pay my respects to Mr. Bashua, an accomplished diplomat, and condole his family and friends. But Adesanmi cannot be thought of or remembered in the same way. As an intellectual, he was a champion of excellence, a currency that is admired and widely-sought in much of the world.
But while he was a scholar of reputable standards and achievement, it is the quality of his character and his voice that brought him celebrity in Nigeria.
The irony is that in his tribute, Buhari did not—could not—acknowledge that side of the man. Responding also, Senate President Bukola Saraki also said he did not know about Adesanmi but read some of his articles last week when the explosive impact of his death consumed the country.
This is important. Nigeria has a lot of frontline professionals in many fields within and outside her borders. Few, however, have either the inclination, commitment or talent to step outside their comfort zone and open their voices on behalf of right over wrong. Those who do are dismissed as people who complain because they have not been given a place at the table. Translation: every Nigerian is a thief.
But Adesanmi was a reminder that there are people who do not want a part of any dirty buffet; people who believe there is enough for all, particularly if the best and most able are allowed opportunities that should go to the best, not the best-connected. He hoped for, and yearned for, and campaigned for a Nigeria that would rise to its potential.
The trouble is that nobody can do that without identifying the factors and people that are responsible for her failures. But Nigerian power-wielders hate to be so identified, let alone challenged. It has become our character and history as a people: Obafemi Awolowo was in his time and prime the best-qualified for national leadership, but he would not get it. Tai Solarin died screaming for social justice, as did Gani Fawehinmi.Sometimes, we even go abroad to advertise our disdain for quality. Appearing before the Editorial Board of the New York Times in the late 1980s at the peak of his powers, Tom Ikimi, who was Sani Abacha’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, arrogantly dismissed the worth and work of Wole Soyinka.
Remember, Soyinka had just won the Nobel Prize. “Anybody can win a Nobel Prize!” Ikimi thundered at the astonished journalists.
They walked out on him.
In 2004, when Chinua Achebe rejected the award of a National Honour because of the sordid record of Olusegun Obasanjo’s government, particularly in Anambra State, government spokesman Femi Fani-Kayode offered him this insult: “If you feel that your country does not deserve to honour you, then we believe you certainly do not deserve your country.”
Nigerian leaders resent and reject the logic of excellence and performance. You worship them with presents and praises. They love the language of such people as the delegation of so-called non-career ambassadors who visited Buhari a few days ago.
They were led by a man called Ashimiyu Olaniyi, who told Buhari with something of a straight face: “You are God-sent. You have always come on stage at the critical moments of our national history to right the wrongs of the past.’’
He told him that his election and re-election, “are divine interventions in the affairs of the country.”Buhari had to have been glowing with joy, liars such as Olaniyi being priceless and memorable. Unlike writers, particularly irreverent critics such as Adesanmi who have no price tag.
Little wonder then, that Buhari, an unrepentant nepotist, never noticed Adesanmi. People like that are said to be merely “speaking grammar.” To have noticed would have been to acknowledge the writer’s abhorrence of the Nigerian leader’s world of self-worship and hypocrisy. Of that world, I give Saraki credit for finding the courage to attend a memorial event for Adesanmi in Abuja last week, along with Senator Dino Melaye, although I do not believe any of them read enough of him to understand what he would consider to be penance or repatriation.
What would Adesanmi would have thought of the massive “Jail Bukola Saraki” signs seen on the side of London’s famous buses last week? It is unimportant that the images may have been photoshopped: London is Saraki’s real hometown, the one where he became a man and is thought to hold most of his wealth. That such signs were thought up and paid for either by Nigerians rich enough or creative enough says a lot about where the Nigeria struggle goes next.
It is significant that Buhari told the Olaniyi group last week his government is trying to reverse the mismanagement of his predecessors, “and with some luck, our best will be good enough.”
Luck.
Adesanmi would have been furious that while Buhari clearly had but fuzzy plans in 2015, in 2019 when he should be recognizing the critical importance of leadership, better policies and dogged implementation, he is throwing his hands into the air just as he threw eight meaningless fingers for the election.
Clearly, that means that Nigeria, post-Adesanmi, has a dark road ahead.
So what do we owe Adesanmi? There is always a lot of energy when a man of such moment passes; in Nigeria, sadly, we do not translate them to action. What meaningful memorial is there, today, of Achebe?In my view, the most fitting tribute would reflect not only his prodigious energies but his advocacy of meritocracy and quality. Let us have an annual writing competition in his name and writing prizes at least in schools he attended, the objective being to unearth new literary gems and courageous voices from the bowels of the soil he cherished so much.
Adesanmi opened his heart and gave it away. In the end, that is all that matters, for it is by our hearts we live and die, and touch others.
• sonala.olumhense@gmail.com• @SonalaOlumhense
Sonala Olumhense Syndicated
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target=_blank>I Have No Reason To Resign From PDP At This Time, Says Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has debunked the report that he has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He stated this in response to a report that he purportedly granted an interview to a certain Nigeria News Agency (NNA), which quoted him as dumping the party.
However, a statement issued by Ikechukwu Eze, the former President’s media adviser, on Sunday, referred to the report as “fake”.
The statement read: “Obviously, this is a fabrication borne out of mischief as the publishers of the fake story claimed that the former President made the statement while being interviewed by Nigeria News Agency, (NNA).
“There is absolutely no way the former President could have spoken to a non-existent news agency, as none in the country goes by that name.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Dr Jonathan has no reason at this time to resign his membership of PDP, the party under which platform he became Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President and President.
“Those who derive pleasure in spreading fake information had better occupy themselves with more productive endeavours that are obviously more relevant to nation-building.”
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E2%80%94-pius-adesanmi%E2%80%99s-wife-speaks-her-husbands-death target=_blank>‘No Words To Describe The Depths Of My Pain’ — Pius Adesanmi’s Wife Speaks On Her Husband’s Death
Mrs. Olumuyiwa Balogun-Adesanmi, wife of the late Professor Pius Adesanmi, has expressed gratitude to individuals, groups, organisations, institutions over the show of support in honour of her husband on the occasion of his passing.
Professor Adesanmi was one of the 157 victims of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that occurred last Sunday.
She expressed gratitude for the “incredible demonstrations of support and waves of condolences” she has received, noting that Nigeria was dear to Adesanmi’s heart even though he “deeply appreciated the blessings of making Canada home”.
A statement issued in Ottawa, Canada, read: “I have no words to describe the depths of my pain on the untimely passing of my husband, Pius Adesanmi. He was an extraordinary scholar, husband, devoted father and a fine gentle man. He was an uncommon breed. He wrote about human rights, gender equality and human dignity. He practised what he preached. I am a living witness to the kindness of his soul and love for others.
“Pius Adesanmi enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. Our daughter Tise’s words often tugged at his heart every time he needed to travel. He compensated for his regular absences by being generous with his time. He was witty, funny and a joy to behold.
“My family and I have been touched by the incredible demonstrations of support and waves of condolences sent our way. I have learned about people of all ages and backgrounds, who never met Pius Adesanmi but broke down in tears when they learned of his death. I am comforted by the sheer enormity of the lives he touched. He lived and died in pursuit of a better world. He lived and died in service to Africa. Nigeria was dear to his heart and he longed for Nigeria’s development. Pius Adesanmi was also a Canadian citizen and deeply appreciated the blessings of making Canada home.
“I appreciate the tremendous support from the Canadian and the Nigerian governments. The administration, students and faculty at Carleton University have been exemplary in our moment of grief. The academic community in Canada, Nigeria and around the world have been immense in their tributes. I applaud all individuals and institutions around the world that have held or plan to hold vigils, processions and other events to mark my husband’s transition. I thank all local, national and international media organizations for their professionalism in the coverage of the unfortunate crash. Our extended family, neighbours, and friends from all areas of human endeavour have stood solidly by us. I am deeply grateful. Mo dupe, E se pupo, Merci. Thank you.
“Pius Adebola Adesanmi, the whole family misses you. I miss you. I miss your laughter, ebullience, reassuring presence as well as the effervescence and incandescence of your person. ‘Bola, you were an uncommon star in the firmament of God’s creation. Oko mi, sun re o (sleep well, my husband). O daaro o. Goodnight, Okun ‘Bola.”
PHOTOS: Akintunde Akinleye
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target=_blank>Civic Media Lab’s Night Of Tribute For Pius Adesanmi
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target=_blank>Chidi Lloyd Apologises To Buhari, Tells Magnus Abe To ‘Take His Sanctimony To The Dogs’
Chidi Lloyd, Director-General of the Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, has apologised to President Muhammadu Buhari for lashing out against him with negative criticism.
Lloyd also accused Magnus Abe, a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, of conniving with Nyesom Wike, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to scuttle APC’s chances in the state, telling him to “take his sanctimonious demeanour to the dogs”.
He further berated Abe for attempting to coat his personal views as those of Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, and a leader of the APC in the state.
In a statement he issued over the weekend, Lloyd noted that he is an adult, capable of making personal comments on the state of the nation.
The statement read: “My attention has been drawn to an orchestrated mischief titled: ‘Stop Abusing President Buhari, Abe Cautions Amaechi’ by Senator Magnus Abe aimed at pushing my personal views as though they were that of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Ordinarily, and by my nature, I wouldn’t have bothered with a reply to the diatribes but for the damage he intends to do, I want to state categorically that my views are my personal thoughts and should not be credited to any other person other than me.
“As a stakeholder in the politics of Rivers State, I feel sad that a collaboration of Senator Magnus Abe and Governor Wike and their accomplices in the Rivers State Judiciary denied us so much in power structure of Rivers State. Whereas, it is an incontrovertible fact that Magnus Abe was collecting huge sums of money and a land cruiser jeep, including payment of legal fees, from Governor Wike to pull the rug off the feet of the APC, it is even more annoying that Magnus Abe did everything under the sun to stop President Buhari from being re-elected. It is on record that when we were working round the clock to ensure we re-elected President Buhari, Magnus Abe addressed a team of 23 coordinators across the 23 LGAs in his camp to go to their LGAs and instruct their supporters to vote for Atiku instead of President Buhari and they did.
“I want to state here that no reasonable member of the APC in Rivers State feels happy over what is happening in Rivers State of which Magnus Abe is part of. Magnus Abe and Wike sat down with Obo Effanga, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Rivers State and drew a list of returning officers and collation officers. Magnus Abe nominated Dr. Peter Medee, a member of the PDP, as the Returning Officer of Emohua LGA, my LGA, to work in favour of Wike.
“Magnus Abe should take his sanctimonious demeanour to the dogs. As the days go by, more and more Rivers people and indeed Nigerians are getting to know that Abe is a man without honour. Today, the same Abe who joined forces with anti-Buhari senators led by Senator Bukola Saraki is acting like he believes in President Buhari than the rest of us. Where was Abe when only 10 APC senators stood out for President on the floor of the Senate? When President Buhari was away for medical treatment, the same Abe was in nocturnal meetings planning how to force President Buhari out of office as if he was God who gives health.
“Every true Nigerian will agree with me that President Buhari’s emergence and subsequent re-election is the best thing that has ever happened to Nigeria. I am a full supporter of President Buhari and I am doing that without regrets. My statement may have sounded harsh; I regret it and take responsibility for that. I am sorry. I spoke in anger because of the collusion of INEC and Wike in Rivers State governorship and state house of assembly elections.”
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target=_blank>New Zealand Killings And Increasing Religious Intolerance Around The World By Aroghalu Chidozie
Reading and watching a video about how a terrorist attacked a church in the New Zealand was not only devastating but appaling.
Not to mix up issues, I believe in God, his supremacy and I believe strongly that he did not create the world for this anomaly to happen.
I must also point out that Human Life is human life, whether Muslim or Christain, everyone has the right to life.
It is very painful when pretentious Christains attack Muslims and when pretentious Muslim attack Christians. I strongly believe that every man deserves nothing but peace and God is love , I believe that Islam preaches peace and Christainity does same, the puzzling question is , why then the continued killings?
There are a thousand and one reasons that people have given to explain the killings we have witnessed contiually . While my position may be subject to debates, I believe strongly that religious leaders are not doing enough around the world to stem this violence from going on further.
You will find a religious leader who should be an ambassador of peace castigating other religions and instigating his members towards violence sometimes indirectly.
Many of the terrorism that we have witnessed is borne out of a belief-system but the truth remains that a larger percentage of harm is done by preachings of religious leaders who do not help matters in an already fragile society.
Sometimes preachers see this as a way to get more loyalty but they forget easily that every man’s deserves freedom to choose where to worship afterall religion is meant to make us have a saner society.
I have witnessed instances in communities where pastors and Imams keep stating things that can harm the peace of the society.
The other issues we have is the perceived supremacy of the religious settings to the law, everyone has a freedom of religion but what happens when people are ‘forced’ ? Thee government authorities of various countries must wake up to checkmate extremism in different climes.
There are laws that helps to checkmate the excesses of any issue that may affect the land, the truth is basically that we must wake up as a society to reality of issues. The government must not see religious bodies or leaders as above the law, anyone found instigating violence or applauding extremism should be made to face the wrath of the law, the full one.
Is it not because we are alive that we are worshipping? Eventhough there is the belief that even when you die you still belong to God, does that justify the untimely killings? The senseless terrorism?
To what end?
If religion cannot promote peace, love , development , God’s like attitude, to what end are we then having it cut brilliant minds shut?
We must not really allow incidences of myths to be a reason why we won’t be our brother’s keeper.
We need a world of peace and everyone , no matter the affiliation has a role to play in this peace that we do desire. Let me also point it clearly that we cannot allow babies , young male and female to die from our intolerance and intention to keep one religion above the other .
We must all rise up as human beings and stand for the society we desire.
I am a Christian but I am not blinded to realities of life , I would not support unjust behaviours, unjust killings , unjust approach to terrorism.
While we sympathise with New Zealanders we must not forget our own dear country , only if we had same outrage for killings in Nigeria like we had for New Zealand ,maybe things would have been better.
Many Nigerians are killed daily (Christians and Muslims) , I have not seen the kind of agitation I saw for the New Zealand killing, we must condemn killings in all countries and even the ones in our own backyard.
We must symphatise with our brothers but we cannot close our eyes to our own land .
I must also make us all understand as individuals that we cannot keep stocking fire of enmity, I have kept seeing young educated men and women , stating that “If those killed were from the other side , they won’t call the man who shot ‘gunman’ ” but I really am pained, why can we not rise to condemn this killings together because our fellow humans were killed by a terrorist who should not be allowed to kill any other human soul.
We all deserve to live in a society we would be proud of. That singular opportunity must not be taken away.
I condemn in totality the killings, I call on the international community to stand firm against this killing. Pastors must condemn the killings, the Vatican must condemn the killing.
Beyond religion, We are bound by our human existence and that we must not lose.
Aroghalu Chidozie Writes From AbujaChidozie.law@live.com
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target=_blank>Finding Trump: A Review Of The Secret Letters Of Donald Trump Age 72 1/6 By Tijani H. Ibrahim
I will start with a confession. I was responsible for the publication of the “The Secret Letters of Donald J. Trump age 72 1/6” by Rudolf t. g. Hess. It is the same way that President Barack Obama was responsible for Donald Trump’s decision to finally run for president.
At the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in 2011, Obama made fun of Donald Trump. Obama mocked Trump’s leadership on the TV Show, “The Apprentice,” deliriously comparing it with running the United States. Obama’s taunt was reinforced when the comedian of the night, Seth Myers, came on stage and finished up Trump. One of the comedian’s lines went like this: “Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president as a Republican – which is surprising, since I just assumed that he was running as a joke.”
In June of 2015, Donald J. Trump came down an escalator inside Trump’s Tower in New York City and declared that he was running for president. From that day till today, America has not been the same. A force of nature named Trump was released to the world.
Similarly, a few months ago, I had mocked Rudolf Okonkwo’s GoFundMe effort to raise money for the publication of his book, “The Secret Letters of President Donald J. Trump age 72 1/6.” He had posted the appeal and for two months nobody donated a dime. My mockery spurred some people to donate some money, out of pity. I say so because he barely raised one-fifth of what he wanted. But that seemed to have been enough.
Having been entangled with the project in this manner, I felt that the least that I could do when it was finally published was to get a copy and see for myself.
Reading “The Secret Letters of President Donald J. Trump age 72 1/6”, you will experience laughter, anger and bafflement. Like in Trump’s letter to Allah, you may have a reason or two to curse out loud. In Trump’s letter to his daughter, Ivanka, you may need to go and wash your hands afterwards. In Trump’s letter to Kanye West, you may smile as sparks fall when two male egos clash. Rudolf sustains your interest with a tension that is as strong as watching a drop of dew on the tip of a leaf while an morning breeze intensifies. The book has enough dose of Trump fighting back his perceived enemies like the Special Counsel Robert Mueller, John McCain, Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton. In Trump’s letters to Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin and others, we get a glimpse of why Trump considers them better leaders than Theresa May or Angela Merkel. Still, there are moments, like in Trump’s letter to God, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Harry when Rudolf brings out the childlike nature that every observer of Trump feels is hidden, and sometime, begging to come out. Trump’s combative nature also shows in his letters to LeBron James, Omarosa and Emmanuel Macron among others.
Seamlessly intertwined in these letters is the autobiography of Trump, specially stories about Trump and his family that are not common knowledge. For instance, in Trump’s letter to his father, Fred Trump Sr., we are told that Trump’s father was a friend of Benjamin Netanyahu when he was the Israeli ambassador to the UN. Also flowing across the letters is a typical American view of the world. With the possible exception of George W. Bush, most recent American presidents were not typical Americans the way Trump is. This typical American viewpoint manifests in Trump’s letters to European leaders like the sexy mama President of Croatia during the World Cup.
“The Secret Letters of Donald J. Trump age 72 1/6” is not the work of a reporter. This is the work of an invader who jumped into Donald Trump’s head and pulled out from hard-to-reach corners of his head nuggets that explain things about his life that have thrilled as well as baffled us all. I don’t care who you are, conservative or liberal, after reading this book, if you don’t have a fundamental change in your understanding of Trump, something is wrong with the education that you have received – go and get a refund.
I don’t know if Rudolf takes psychedelic drugs. But if he doesn’t, he should label whatever he takes a psychedelic drug of some sort- for only someone who takes some sort of drugs will crawl into the mind of Trump to extract for us his innermost thoughts. He went where no investigative journalist had never gone. Did I say went? He allowed himself to be possessed by the man, Trump. That is the only way that he could have found the real Donald Trump.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote that, “All human beings have three lives. Public, private, and secret.” Rudolf accomplished a difficult task in this book. He stepped on the public and the private and went straight to the secret life of Trump. Even as you read these letters, you find yourself stretching your understanding of not just Donald J. Trump but the world that you live in.
There is no greater sorrow than to get to the end of this book and to wonder if Trump will ever submit that last letter to the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. All in all, Rudolf left you thinking that if Trump had not existed, someone else would have existed in his place. It was time. The Trump time. Which leads me to the down side of the book: because Trump is not stopping his quest to shake every table on his path, Rudolf will have no option but to continue the chronicle of Trump years. Considering how fast things move in Trump’s world, some of the letters are already dated, like the letters to Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen.
“The Secret Letters of President Donald J. Trump age 72 1/6” is what every political satire should be like – intelligent, downright funny and still strikingly original. It is a portrait of President Donald Trump that nobody knows. It is so good that whatever opinion of Trump that you have, you will close this book knowing him more and agreeing that for better or for worse, he is a truly remarkable man.
In “Six Characters in Search of an Author,” Italian writer, Luigi Pirandello, wrote that, “Life is full of strange absurdities, which, strangely enough, do not even need to appear plausible, since they are true.” Trump was a character in search of an author. In the hands of Rudolf, Trump came alive so well that you will totally forget that the story came from Rudolf the son of Okonkwo. Unless, I hope this is not a spoiler, unless one buys the bullshit insinuation in the preface that some Russians sent the letters to the author.
To my surprise, Rudolf was not just monkeying around in the book. Writing under Dr. Damages’ nom de plume, Rudolf t. g. Hess, a reader is left with a feeling that there are men goofing around as writers and there are writers goofing around as men. Rudolf is half of both. He has definitely learnt something as a practitioner of the art of political satire.
If I were Trump, it would be too much of a favor to send enfant terrible like Rudolf straight to hell for writing this book. He should spend a considerable time in purgatory just to have time to think of what he did to the minds of the readers of the “Secret Letters of President Donald J. Trump aged 72 1/6.”
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E2%80%94-and-steal-his-rifle target=_blank>Again, Gunmen Kill Policeman In Bayelsa — And Steal His Rifle
Hours after a previous attack on a hotel in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, which left two policemen dead, another policeman attached to the popular Joepal Supermarket at Amarata area of Yenagoa, was shot dead on Friday night.
His rifle was also stolen.
The recent attack is coming a few hours after two policemen attached to Udeme Hotels, owned by Senator Emmanuel Puller, were shot dead and their rifles carted away.
Also, before the February 23 presidential and national assembly elections, a police checkpoint under the Julius Berger bridge in the state was attacked. The attack left a policeman killed and another critically injured. Two rifles were stolen.
Sources within the police command confirmed that five Police rifles had gone missing in the last three weeks due to the attacks.
A senior officer within the command, who preferred not to be named, said preliminary investigations showed that an unarmed cult group in the state may be responsible for the killings and rifle theft.
“They have been attempting to secure rifles to attack their rivals and carry out criminal activities in the state. Though we got wind of it at a time and tried to lure them to buy, so as to apprehend them. However, in doing so, we nearly walked into a death trap ourselves. The boys escaped. We arrested one and seized a vehicle, but some ‘forces’ stopped their prosecution. Now, they have police rifles in their possession,” the officer told SaharaReporters on Saturday.
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Pseudo Democracy, Pseudo Democrats! By SOC Okenwa
SOC Okenwa
SOC Okenwa
The much-anticipated general elections in Nigeria had come and gone with controversies still trailing them. To the surprise of a few amongst us perhaps the presidential, legislative and gubernatorial polls produced violence, death, injuries and injustices. Generally local or national elections in Africa often represent sources of blood-letting, thuggery, electoral violence and manipulation of votes and voters. Nigeria is never an exception in this regard. Sometimes electoral seasons signalled a return to war-zones in the cities and villages as ‘prisoners’ are taken and booty carted away as it were.
In Nigeria it was the same old story of lack of complete independence of the electoral umpire (INEC), the deployment of incumbency factor to the advantage of those in power, vote-buying and ballot-box snatching etc. Since independence in 1960 there was no election held in Nigeria without much to talk about in terms of rigging, under-age voting, importation of foreigners (especially in the far-north) to vote and logistical failures.
Last February 23rd and March 9th respectively Nigerians went to the polls to decide who governed them at the federal and states’ levels. This year’s electoral edition gave birth to more controversies and surprises than the previous exercise four years ago. Then in 2015 the then President Goodluck Jonathan had played a statesman by gracefully acknowledging his humiliating defeat — calling the winner (now President Muhammadu Buhari) to offer his congratulatory best wishes. But whether he would have done otherwise is still left in the realm of conjecture.
But the presidential poll of this year featuring Buhari and the opposition PDP’s Atiku Abubakar as frontrunners generated more political heat, hits and misses. Atiku officially ‘lost’ and Buhari ‘won’ by a huge margin of over four million votes, or so we were made to believe. Atiku has doggedly refused to accept his fate denouncing militarisation of the process and manipulation of results by the ruling APC and the forces behind them.
The Wazirin Adamawa is currently locked in a potentially protracted litigation at the Election Petition Tribunal to reclaim the “stolen mandate”. The global community are watching and following events as they unfold with serious attention. It is agreed generally that it is within Atiku’s right to seek rdress in a court of competent jurisdiction rather than settling for self-help or violence.
The Nigerian democratic space has witnessed lately a whole lot of activities bordering on recriminations linked to the outcome of the polls. And the Nigerian factor has reared its ugly head in the process. Former Vice-President Atiku’s decision to challenge the re-election of the incumbent President would certainly enrich our democracy rather than threatening same. While the Election Petition Tribunal has commenced sitting they are yet to deliver the final binding verdict.
But expectations are high in many quarters that the Tribunal may not deliver justice to the Atiku camp given the Nigerian factor. Justice in Nigeria is not only corrupt but the powers that be often manipulate same for their selfish political interests. Besides, one can ‘buy’ justice with money and/or connections. If in any doubt then ask the former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, an expert in judicial merchandise!
So very little hope exists of the possibility of the Tribunal doing justice, doing the right thing by emulating the Kenyan Supreme Court. Last year in Nairobi, it would be recalled, the Supreme Court had delivered a monumental judgement annulling the controversial re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta thereby vindicating the position of the opposition leader Raila Odinga who declared and proved that the presidential poll was systematically manipulated in favour of the incumbent Head of State.
The Kenyan presidential poll was re-done but surprisingly Odinga renounced his re-presentation or participation for cogent reasons he had elaborated. He had backed out of the poll because of the existence of a non-level playing field and the repeat of what he had denounced as a fraudulent process. Yet rumours had started flying around, upon the sudden withdrawal from the race, that Raila may have been blackmailed into submission!
Ever since President Buhari won re-election in a controversial fashion few weeks ago the nebulous Nigerian factor has come into play, to wit: politicians paying homage and congratulating him hypocritically, traditional rulers visiting Aso Rock to pledge their loyalty to the system, political groups, in their notoriety, struggling to outdo one another to register their adherence to Buharism. All of whom, without exception, had been urging Atiku Abubakar to forgo his legal challenge to the Buhari victory for ‘peace to reign’. Utter balderdash!
Pray, did the man they were visiting in Abuja on three consecutive occasions not reject his glaring defeat at successive presidential contests involving him and took matters to the court for redress? Did he not unconvincingly blame the PDP rigging machinery each time he was handed a resounding short end of the stick? Did he not go to the violent extreme of promising ominously that the baboons and monkeys would be soaked in blood in the event of the 2015 presidential election not going his way?
It is unfortunate that we have a semblance of democracy (no matter how ugly its face) but one without democrats! From every stretch of imagination President Buhari himself, with all due respect due him as the number one citizen, cannot be described as a democrat. As a former military tyrant Buhari has constantly manifested, in and out of power, anti-democratic tendencies and attitudes inimical to the advancement of the democratic dream. He always spoke glowingly about his military exploits even in a supposedly democratic setting! Besides, true democrats are never involved in coup-plotting yet Buhari was a proud coup plotter that once truncated democracy!
Since 1999 Nigeria could be described as a democracy struggling to find her feet. As the largest democracy in the sub-Saharan Africa challenges lie ahead as never before. Though imperfect from practically all indications the giant of Africa has miraculously weathered the democratic storm post-June 12, that day of infamy in 1993 when democracy triumphed but was criminally killed by the Babangidaised hubris. Today, though abused here and there, now and then, democracy has come to stay in our land.
Nigeria is hopelessly operating a poorly-rated mediocre democracy manned by poorly-rated mediocre ‘democrats’! Pseudo democracy and pseudo democrats! Rather than being remembered for quality services to the country they are rather remembered for the millions and billions of Dollars they looted from the state treasuries! Pity! From the man at the very top down to the political thugs and killers on the streets the hope for a better nation is already compromised in our reckoning.
If democracy aside meaning government of the people by the people and for the people could be associated with spreading freedom, pursuing justice and fostering national integration then we have collectively failed to live up to that expectation.
For Adesanmi: Fare Thee Well!
Penultimate Sunday I was terribly shocked to learn online of the tragic passing of the prolific writer, teacher and philosopher, Prof. Pius Adesanmi. He was among 157 people that perished in the Boeing’s 737 Max 8 Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed fatally soon after take-off at the international airport in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.
Few years ago while on a sabbatical in Paris, France, I had exchanged some emails with Pius. We never had the opportunity to meet one-on-one. He read my articles religiously and I read his as well. The ‘pious’ Pius had left us too soon too early for anyone to remember the meaning of the ultimate leveller.
It was indeed a sad loss to his friends and family, to us the critics who love our country and to the nation of our birth. We shall all miss you, Pius!
Fare thee well, big brother! ‘One thing must kill a man’ as the layman’s slogan goes. Adieu!
SOC Okenwasoco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
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