July 5, 2010
Obi Nwakanma, the Nigerian-born, United States of America – based award-winning writer, poet and intellectual is among few Nigerians who earn my respect. His radical and activist commentaries on the Nigeria poser always provide fresh and progressive perspectives to his subject-matter.
Obi Nwakanma, the Nigerian-born, United States of America – based award-winning writer, poet and intellectual is among few Nigerians who earn my respect. His radical and activist commentaries on the Nigeria poser always provide fresh and progressive perspectives to his subject-matter.
I can’t miss reading his topical column in The Sunday Vanguard newspaper called The Orbit. Every Sunday the orbital Obi Nwakanma takes on a lot of essential concerns in his thoughtful column. He writes about serious things and offer patriotic and empirical solutions to the many problems afflicting the Nigerian nation and its people.
In The Orbit of Sunday June 6, 2010, there was a great piece, “Governing The East”. The June 13, 2010 edition also carried another interesting article, “kidnappers Haven; Military and Magic To The Rescue”. Obi Nwakanma’s Orbit is a solemn platform, the writings from there continue to draw out irrational and infantile responses as well. In The Sunday Vanguard of June 20, 2010, the whole of page 47 of the paper called “Sunday Viewpoints” was occupied by two well-written articles, which spooned out vulgar rejoinders against The Orbit. Josef Omorotionmwan, the executive secretary of Benin Political Coalition replied The Orbit’s kidnappers haven, “Obi Nwakanma and The Poverty of Western Rationalism”, while Bill Obi attacked Nwakanma’s Governing The East, he wrote under the title, “Facts About Ohakim’s Imo”.
On Thursday, June 10, 2010, Omo n’ Oba Ukuapkolokpolo Eredianwa, the Oba of Benin took his fight against organized crime in his kingdom to another dimension. Nosakhare Isekhure, the Chief Priest of the kingdom obeyed the Oba’s instruction and mobilized all voodoo priests, herbalists and traditional worshippers in the area, to invoke the wrath of the gods against criminals who had been troubling the territory. Dressed in red and white flowing apparels they marched through major spots in the ancient city while placing their curses against criminals who had turned the great Benin “empire” into a jungle. Some journalists who witnessed the event told me on phone that the event was “fearful”. I missed it. I would have loved to watch that religious drama. The Iyase of Benin, Chief Sam Igbe, was quoted to have said, “The action would deter criminals from their evil ways and put an end to kidnapping. We shall wait and see but we hope it will put an end to it (kidnapping) but if they don’t fear themselves, they probably would be sorry for themselves”. Two days after the “fearful” ritual, the Orbit’s kidnappers Haven; military and Magic To The Rescue was published.
I was angry about the Benin soap opera not because I hate what they did. I enjoy drama of any sort. There was nothing fearful about it. Freedom to worship what one feels like worshipping belongs to the fundamental human rights category. Christian and Muslim fanatics do theirs on daily basis. I was angry because it took place in June, that month as Nigerians we are supposed to be serious. It is not a month to perform drama. It was on June 12, 1993, that the Dictator Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in league with other reactionary forces in the country annulled June 12 election, and set ablaze our hope for democracy. In a bid to deflate the western rationalism of Nwakanma, Omorotionmwan argued “We do not know how vast this Nwakanma man is in the field of criminology. We also do not know how much work he has done in the area of crime causation”
The Orbit had suggested scientific, modern and political solutions on the part of the rulers of the Nigerian state to be in place if any crime fighting and control can be effective. Neither the Pentecostal church binding and casting of demons acrobatic dance or the Benin magic show, or theory construction and deconstruction by Omorotionmwan can solve the problem in Benin or elswhere. One does not need to be a Professor Emeritus of Criminology to explain the cause of crime and solutions in any given society. Obi Nwakanma’s article can be quite useful in designing a crime control proposal. Why won’t crime increase when the available resources are monopolized by the ruling class, who misuse such resources to the detriment of other members of society, leaving them in pains, poverty and despair. Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, writer and teacher warned us, “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime”. A society that celebrates mundane things and mediocrity, there will be a wild struggle to get wealth at any cost since it is fashionable. Politicians who create militias during elections and abandon them after the process have to be blamed.
Why won’t crime be on the increase in Benin-city, the capital of Edo state, when our Comrade Adams Oshiomhole brought in Babangida, into Benin, that military tyrant accused of killing Dele Giwa, the handsome and brilliant journalist who hailed from Edo State, to talk about free and fair election. Oh! What a deep contradiction. In the Benin realm there will be a brief lull in crime wave, the so called criminals are clients to the elites, politicians, Pastors, voodoo priests and Imams. They will advise their clients to maintain some calm for a brief period of time. The interlude will be short. Where there is crime they must be punishment no matter who is involved. If tangible and practical measures are not put in place crime will soon return in spite of the curses and armed presence.
I am not a stranger to the Imo State, the eastern heartbeat, to the people, developments and politics in that basin. Recently, I was a lead discussant at a forum organized by the New Nigeria Youth Organization, an Owerri-based humanist group. The event was held at the Imo State University (IMSU). IMSU was recently changed to Evan Enweren University by the Chief Ikedi Ohakim’s government. Perhaps, that is also part of achievement of the administration. I had arrived Owerri few days before the commencement of the events, to look at more facts about Ohakim’s Imo, because Bill Obi had in his rejoinder eulogized the government to a outlandish stature, and fire at those who express contrary opinion at his government. Hear him, “It is strange enough that Nwakanma, a sojourner in the United States of America, does not write about America and Americans. He does not bother to let his Nigerian audience know anything about God’s own country. But it is even more strange that our brother in Diaspora prefers to mount the soapbox from America for the purpose of commenting on the issues in Nigeria”.
Obi Nwakanma hails from Imo State and he is sincerely concerned about the bad governance that is eating up his home. The writer (Bill Obi) should give a proper account of all the revenue the state has been receiving since the beginning of the administration and what the monies were used for. While in Owerri, the capital of Imo State and its environs I couldn’t see the infrastructural miracle Obi presented to us beautiful in his defence. It is only on the pages of Nigeria newspapers and magazines I see a lot of projects in Imo State. This is sad. 99% of those I spoke to said one horrible thing or the other about the Ohakim’s government. When a government becomes too irresponsible to a point that “ordinary” folks on the streets criticize such government openly and fearlessly without minding what happens to their flesh there is something wrong. That is the case of Imo State under Ohakim, is like the eastern heart ceases to beat again. These desperate politicians and elites hate their people. Their approach to governance ranges from co-optation, violence, corruption, blackmail and intimidation to fraud. But, like the forewarnings of the late journalist Dele Giwa to Babangida before he was murdered, “There is life after power”. Obi Nwakanma, in spite of these attacks you owe us a duty as a self-appointed caretaker of the conscience of society, keep The Orbit wheeling, there lies the hope for a better Nigeria.
Naagbanton writes from Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria
I can’t miss reading his topical column in The Sunday Vanguard newspaper called The Orbit. Every Sunday the orbital Obi Nwakanma takes on a lot of essential concerns in his thoughtful column. He writes about serious things and offer patriotic and empirical solutions to the many problems afflicting the Nigerian nation and its people.
In The Orbit of Sunday June 6, 2010, there was a great piece, “Governing The East”. The June 13, 2010 edition also carried another interesting article, “kidnappers Haven; Military and Magic To The Rescue”. Obi Nwakanma’s Orbit is a solemn platform, the writings from there continue to draw out irrational and infantile responses as well. In The Sunday Vanguard of June 20, 2010, the whole of page 47 of the paper called “Sunday Viewpoints” was occupied by two well-written articles, which spooned out vulgar rejoinders against The Orbit. Josef Omorotionmwan, the executive secretary of Benin Political Coalition replied The Orbit’s kidnappers haven, “Obi Nwakanma and The Poverty of Western Rationalism”, while Bill Obi attacked Nwakanma’s Governing The East, he wrote under the title, “Facts About Ohakim’s Imo”.
On Thursday, June 10, 2010, Omo n’ Oba Ukuapkolokpolo Eredianwa, the Oba of Benin took his fight against organized crime in his kingdom to another dimension. Nosakhare Isekhure, the Chief Priest of the kingdom obeyed the Oba’s instruction and mobilized all voodoo priests, herbalists and traditional worshippers in the area, to invoke the wrath of the gods against criminals who had been troubling the territory. Dressed in red and white flowing apparels they marched through major spots in the ancient city while placing their curses against criminals who had turned the great Benin “empire” into a jungle. Some journalists who witnessed the event told me on phone that the event was “fearful”. I missed it. I would have loved to watch that religious drama. The Iyase of Benin, Chief Sam Igbe, was quoted to have said, “The action would deter criminals from their evil ways and put an end to kidnapping. We shall wait and see but we hope it will put an end to it (kidnapping) but if they don’t fear themselves, they probably would be sorry for themselves”. Two days after the “fearful” ritual, the Orbit’s kidnappers Haven; military and Magic To The Rescue was published.
I was angry about the Benin soap opera not because I hate what they did. I enjoy drama of any sort. There was nothing fearful about it. Freedom to worship what one feels like worshipping belongs to the fundamental human rights category. Christian and Muslim fanatics do theirs on daily basis. I was angry because it took place in June, that month as Nigerians we are supposed to be serious. It is not a month to perform drama. It was on June 12, 1993, that the Dictator Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in league with other reactionary forces in the country annulled June 12 election, and set ablaze our hope for democracy. In a bid to deflate the western rationalism of Nwakanma, Omorotionmwan argued “We do not know how vast this Nwakanma man is in the field of criminology. We also do not know how much work he has done in the area of crime causation”
The Orbit had suggested scientific, modern and political solutions on the part of the rulers of the Nigerian state to be in place if any crime fighting and control can be effective. Neither the Pentecostal church binding and casting of demons acrobatic dance or the Benin magic show, or theory construction and deconstruction by Omorotionmwan can solve the problem in Benin or elswhere. One does not need to be a Professor Emeritus of Criminology to explain the cause of crime and solutions in any given society. Obi Nwakanma’s article can be quite useful in designing a crime control proposal. Why won’t crime increase when the available resources are monopolized by the ruling class, who misuse such resources to the detriment of other members of society, leaving them in pains, poverty and despair. Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, writer and teacher warned us, “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime”. A society that celebrates mundane things and mediocrity, there will be a wild struggle to get wealth at any cost since it is fashionable. Politicians who create militias during elections and abandon them after the process have to be blamed.
Why won’t crime be on the increase in Benin-city, the capital of Edo state, when our Comrade Adams Oshiomhole brought in Babangida, into Benin, that military tyrant accused of killing Dele Giwa, the handsome and brilliant journalist who hailed from Edo State, to talk about free and fair election. Oh! What a deep contradiction. In the Benin realm there will be a brief lull in crime wave, the so called criminals are clients to the elites, politicians, Pastors, voodoo priests and Imams. They will advise their clients to maintain some calm for a brief period of time. The interlude will be short. Where there is crime they must be punishment no matter who is involved. If tangible and practical measures are not put in place crime will soon return in spite of the curses and armed presence.
I am not a stranger to the Imo State, the eastern heartbeat, to the people, developments and politics in that basin. Recently, I was a lead discussant at a forum organized by the New Nigeria Youth Organization, an Owerri-based humanist group. The event was held at the Imo State University (IMSU). IMSU was recently changed to Evan Enweren University by the Chief Ikedi Ohakim’s government. Perhaps, that is also part of achievement of the administration. I had arrived Owerri few days before the commencement of the events, to look at more facts about Ohakim’s Imo, because Bill Obi had in his rejoinder eulogized the government to a outlandish stature, and fire at those who express contrary opinion at his government. Hear him, “It is strange enough that Nwakanma, a sojourner in the United States of America, does not write about America and Americans. He does not bother to let his Nigerian audience know anything about God’s own country. But it is even more strange that our brother in Diaspora prefers to mount the soapbox from America for the purpose of commenting on the issues in Nigeria”.
Obi Nwakanma hails from Imo State and he is sincerely concerned about the bad governance that is eating up his home. The writer (Bill Obi) should give a proper account of all the revenue the state has been receiving since the beginning of the administration and what the monies were used for. While in Owerri, the capital of Imo State and its environs I couldn’t see the infrastructural miracle Obi presented to us beautiful in his defence. It is only on the pages of Nigeria newspapers and magazines I see a lot of projects in Imo State. This is sad. 99% of those I spoke to said one horrible thing or the other about the Ohakim’s government. When a government becomes too irresponsible to a point that “ordinary” folks on the streets criticize such government openly and fearlessly without minding what happens to their flesh there is something wrong. That is the case of Imo State under Ohakim, is like the eastern heart ceases to beat again. These desperate politicians and elites hate their people. Their approach to governance ranges from co-optation, violence, corruption, blackmail and intimidation to fraud. But, like the forewarnings of the late journalist Dele Giwa to Babangida before he was murdered, “There is life after power”. Obi Nwakanma, in spite of these attacks you owe us a duty as a self-appointed caretaker of the conscience of society, keep The Orbit wheeling, there lies the hope for a better Nigeria.
Naagbanton writes from Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria
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