Cosmopolitan Reflections

Fuel Subsidy: Customs indicts NNPC

2012-01-18T14:32:00.001+01:00

Culled from the Nation

Alleged subsidy fraud: Customs indicts NNPC

By Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja 12 hours 5 minutes ago

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•Mrs Alison-Madueke with NNPC Group Managing Director Austin Oniwon at the hearing ... yesterday Photo: Abayomi Fayese

FROM the streets and seminar halls, the petrol subsidy battle returned to the House yesterday, with the Customs disclosing that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) does not have documents to back up fuel importation.

According to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Ministry of Finance also aided the “illegality” by coercing Customs to overlook the essential documents to “avert undue hardship on Nigerians”.

Also yesterday, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, which supervises the NNPC, denied being the approving authority for subsidy deductions.

The Farouk Lawan-led House of Representatives Ad-Hoc committee investigating the management of fuel subsidy heard from Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs Julius Ndubuisi Nwankwo, who represented Comptroller-General Abdullahi Dikko Inde, that most fuel importation did not follow due process.

Nwankwo said no invoices are attached during clearance of fuel, adding that “as we speak, most of the importation of PMS has no documentation”.

He said as a result of the lack of documentation, the NCS is not in a position to give the exact number of vessels imported by the NNPC.

“NNPC does not make any documentation to the Customs. Several meetings were held where the NCS was directed not to ask for documents. The Ministry of Finance wrote to NCS, warning them not to ask for documents because this will cause crisis,” Nwankwo said.

Besides, revealed the officer, NNPC never berthed the mother vessels at Nigerian ports, contrary to the provisions of the extant laws.

Said Nwankwo: “Vessels imported into this country are referred to as mother vessels. These mother vessels never get to the ports in Nigeria. The vessels are normally anchored offshore. If you see the manifest covering these imports, what you will see is ‘offshore Cotonou, offshore Lome’.

“They never get to the ports. Rather, you have smaller vessels that pick these products from the mother vessels and they come to the ports to report to the Customs – in line with the provision of the enabling Act of Customs.

“These mother vessels do not report to Customs. Customs does not board mother vessels; we can only board vessels that are anchored within our territorial waters. The smaller vessels take these products to the ports.”

Nwankwo urged the Committee to look into “the average diversion and compare with the capacity of the mother vessels with the smaller ones that their capacity are known”.

He said NNPC has failed to pay duty on imported Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) worth N45 billion to Customs from 1999 to 2002 when the duty was formally suspended by the Federal Government.

Nwankwo said to ensure transparency, NEITI should conduct forensic audit of all the ships in Nigeria and from exporting countries.

While he berated the corruption in the oil and gas sector, Nwankwo said there was no documentation of PMS imported by NNPC into the country and that only independent oil marketers attempted to document importation.

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Finance had in a letter sent to Customs warned that any insistence on enforcing Customs rules (SEMA) would cause untold hardship and petrol scarcity.

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), corroborating the allegation by the NCS, said the management of the country’s crude oil and importation of petroleum products by the NNPC was deficient in transparency.

NEITI chairman Prof. Assisi Asobie, payments made in respect of fuel subsidy by the NNPC “lack transparency and due process”.

According to him, subsidy payments should be made from the Central Bank through the Petroleum Fund, but that has not been the case with the NNPC.

His words: “This clear due process is not followed by the NNPC. NNPC estimates the subsidy entitlements and deducts the estimated amounts directly from the domestic crude proceeds before remitting the rest to the Federation Account.”

He noted that during the audit of the oil and gas sector for 2006 and 2008, NEITI discovered inadequacies that complicated the problem of accurate determination of volume of imported petroleum products.

Asobie said from 2002, NNPC lifted domestic crude at the market price, providing incentive for export of domestic crude rather than domestic refining of all crude. From 2006 to 2008, the total oil lifted from the country was 8.8 million barrels. NNPC lifted 4.8 million barrels,” Asobie said.

According to him, “the measurement methods used by the PPMC and DPR are not in accordance with best practice. Even then, they are not consistently applied and cannot be relied upon.”

The NEITI chair noted that the systems for recording the movement of refined products through the PPMC pipeline are outdated, paper based and subject to error.

Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke told the committee that deductions by the NNPC for subsidy were legal.

She said NNPC’s action was embedded in the 2011 Appropriation Act, page 14, item no. 8 where it is stated that deductions be made on domestic subsidy and joint venture cash calls, adding that section 5 (80) (3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowers the corporation to deduct from source.

“I need to say clearly that we have done nothing unconstitutional as a ministry, particularly regarding deducting at source. We do not take money from the federally appropriated revenue,” Mrs Alison-Madueke said.

The Minister said N245b was budgeted for two months because it was calculated that deregulation was going to take off, but the budget went up to N1.3tr as the process could not begin as planned.

“It is Ministry of Finance that authorises the payments that are made for subsidy and not the Ministry of Petroleum Resources,” she said.

Mrs Alison-Madueke dismissed the existence of a cabal in the NNPC and stressed that deducting subsidy cash at source by the NNPC was in line with the provisions of the law.

Lawan asked the Minister to name the “cabal” in the oil sector. The Minister replied: “I think I have to say at this time that I’m under oath and it will be most improper to speculate on the existence or not of the purported cabal.

“Let me say for the purpose of records that I think that we cannot afford as a country to criminalise either a certain group in one fell swoop, just as we cannot afford to criminalise the policy of subsidy itself.

“The policy on subsidy, I believe, was enacted at a time when the government, was trying to do its best for the people of Nigeria, I believe it was the best of intentions at the beginning.”

She, however, clarified the roles of oil marketers, some of whom were accused of being responsible for the rot in the subsidy regime.

Said the minister: “When you have a pool of marketers, many of whom are bonafide marketers, who do very legal job for this country, and I say this because I have been severally taken to task and called all sort of names for saying this, but as Minister of Petroleum Resources, I think I have the courage to say, ‘Yes, there have been manipulations in the sector; there is no question about it’. Yes, we are looking into it very aggressively and we have made certain changes and once we have taken time to look at the situation on ground to begin to institute those aggressive changes which are already reaping rewards for us.”

Mrs Alison-Madueke restated the government’s resolve to combat corruption in the sector. She said: “I will continue to do that as I am sure the entire country can see that a lot of things are happening that we will continue to harp on, until we are able to weed out those who have actually corrupted the system and manipulated the system to their own advantage to the detriment of the entire country and the economy as a whole.

“So many of them were not found to do that, there are elements who have not done so and who have gained a lot from manipulating the system and we expect to find them in the soonest possible time.

“But I think we should not criminalise the actual act or legal marketing or the concept of fuel subsidy.”

Your Connected Vehicle Is Arriving - Technology Review

2012-01-09T09:38:00.000+01:00

Your Connected Vehicle Is Arriving - Technology Review

Web 2.0 Suva

2011-11-29T23:38:00.001+01:00

A Twin-Cell Solar Panel - Technology Review

2011-11-10T10:31:00.001+01:00

A Twin-Cell Solar Panel - Technology Review

Kinect Turns Any Surface Into a Touch Screen - Technology Review

2011-10-19T09:16:00.000+02:00

Kinect Turns Any Surface Into a Touch Screen - Technology Review

A Tablet for the Blind? - Technology Review

2011-10-13T09:20:00.000+02:00

A Tablet for the Blind? - Technology Review

Steve Jobs - Three Stories

2011-10-07T12:18:00.002+02:00

Prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

New Battery Could Be Just What the Grid Ordered - Technology Review

2011-09-28T12:10:00.000+02:00

New Battery Could Be Just What the Grid Ordered - Technology Review

Today Post

2011-06-23T11:46:00.002+02:00

Web 2.0 Learning Opportunity starts In The Gambia

2011-06-21T14:06:00.001+02:00

It had to be Roger Federer

2011-06-04T17:51:00.008+02:00

Yesterday, Roger Federer silenced the critics who say that he is finished. Novak Djokovic had his unbeaten run of 43 matches suddenly abrogated when he met the master.

Throughout 2011, Novak was on a high and nobody could stop him. He was unstoppable on all surfaces and rivals were overawed by him. He seemed to have put on a new cloak of invincibility. When asked about the impending semi-final match, between Djokovic and Federer, Rafael Nadal commented that it was a match between the current best tennis player in the world against the best tennis player in history. That description said it all. If we were to predict from Nadal's description, it was fairly obvious who would win. The best player in history was still in excellent form and as recently as December 2010 defeated Novak in the end of season tournament of the masters in London.

When the match was played, it was clear why Roger Federer has the title of best player in tennis history. The gods of tennis inspired him to play some sublime tennis, we have not seen in recent times. He was simply magnificent. Novak was stunned and succumbed to Roger's super tennis in just four sets.

Poor Novak, had he simply won that match he would have secured for the first time in his career, the No. 1 position in the ATP world tour men's singles ranking even if he did not go on to win the Roland Garros tournament. However, there is still a silver lining in the clouds because Roger having undone Novak can make him again.

In his current form, Federer is primed to beat Rafael in the finals on Sunday. When he does that, Novak will then be No. 1 over Nadal. So you see, these days Roger Federer has arrogated to himself the power to do and undo.

Gaddafi prepares for Armageddon

2011-02-28T22:12:00.013+01:00

The last few weeks have witnessed changes in the Maghreb that no one could have predicted even at the beginning of the year. The power of the people is beginning to take a unique stride in international politics. An Arab race long lost in slumber is waking up to meet its social responsibility. A sandstorm of change is blowing across the Arab world in all directions and no one can tell its final destination. The power of social media is being wielded in a way that could not have been imagined a few years ago.

The old saying "the pen is mightier than the sword" is being manifested in a strange way that reveals afresh that the characteristic of the pen that holds its power is its communicative strength.

Social media has empowered the people to communicate in a manner that was considered the preserve of only powerful witches. People are called to gather at the wink of an eye. Messages and even graphic images are passed at the speed of sound.

Tyrants can no longer hold sway as their firm grips on power slip out of control. They are left tongue tied and bemused. The natural instinct to resist soon gives way to calm acceptance of the new scheme of things. It is said that calm acceptance soon gives way to DDS (deposed dictator syndrome), the symptoms of which are immediate withdrawal from public view followed closely by coma. Ben Ali of Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt are widely rumoured to be suffering from this condition.

First it was Tunisia, Yemen, and then Egypt and Bahrain and Libya then Jordan, Oman, Algeria and where else, who knows.

If these were put is seismological perspective, it would be 6.0 on the Richter scale in Tunisia, 6.4 in Egypt and a sustained series of after-shocks that left Hosni Mubarak confused and bemused. The biggest one was however still to come in Libya, first a minor rumbling, then the belching and spewing of smoke in ammunition dumps went up in loud bang to herald the beginning of the end for Colonel Gaddafi as the desperate despot attempted to cower a people who in forty long years ensconced in an iron grip have outgrown fear.

The big bang is yet to come as Gaddafi hold out against his "rats" and "dogs". It is dangerous enough to be faced with rabid stray dogs constantly barking at you to leave your own house. It is doubly dangerous when those dogs and even the rats are known to be sniffing drugs and drinking Al Qaeda power potions.

The good old Colonel has drawn his battle lines and the cry is "I will never leave my country. We shall fight to the death." As he prepares for the final showdown, we all wait in awe and great apprehension of the Armageddon, the mother of all battles.

A very peculiar Wimbledon Tennis Championship

2010-07-07T23:03:00.003+02:00

The 2010 edition of the All England Lawn Tennis Championship popularly known as Wimbledon has come and gone with some very interesting stories.

Libya Air crash

2010-05-17T00:19:00.000+02:00

Swiss Chickens Sue the Swiss Federal Government for Genocide

2010-03-17T23:38:00.006+01:00

George Orwell would love to have watched proceedings in the Swiss Parliament when the latest bill on animal rights was being discussed. Switzerland has one of the most stringent animal rights laws in the world. Under the Swiss constitution, the protection of the "dignity" of plant life is upheld and animal rights have been established under a law passed last year for creatures such as goldfish and canaries. Pigs, budgies and other social creatures cannot be kept alone; horses and cows must be regularly exercised outside their stalls and dog owners are required to take a training course to learn how to properly care for their pets.
Given the vibrant discussions on this subject, the Association of Pro-Life Poultry (APLP) has taken the Swiss government to court to seek reparations for persistent genocide over the centuries and for a perpetual injunction to stop the killing and let their members live to old age and die naturally. They had waited patiently to see the outcome of the referendum that was to provide human lawyers to defend animal right cases. They had hoped that if the vote had been favourable they would have engaged a top Swiss lawyer at no cost to prosecute their case against the Swiss state for hypocrisy and blatant discrimination. APLP members had complained that even gold fish had better rights that they have. Unfortunately for them, the voters failed them as they overwhelmingly voted against the bill. The canton of Zurich has had its own animal lawyer since 1992. The Animal rights lawyer has had clients ranging from dogs, cats, guinea pigs, farm animals and, recently, to even a large pike. He argued "It took 10 minutes of struggle to reel the pike in before killing it. I regard that as cruelty. If someone had done that to a puppy, there would have been outrage," He further went on say, "People accused of animal cruelty very often hire lawyers to defend themselves. Why shouldn't someone speak for the animal as well? It's about fairness and defending a minority."
This is precisely the point for the APLP members. If the rights to comfort are being guaranteed by the state for some animals and even fish, surely chickens should have a right to life. They too would like to live to a ripe old age and die a natural death as pets do. The Swiss have cleverly made cases for “social animals” a group to which dogs, cats, budgerigars, gold fish have been put. APLP is calling up top ethologists and veterinary psychologists to prove that chickens are more sociable than dogs and cats. They question why they are singled out for annihilation, generation after generation. Why should the only beauty humans see in chickens be the tenderness of their flesh for food?
If human beings are so concerned about cruelty to their peers, they ought to have a bigger concern for the systematic murder generation after generation of their progenitors had suffered. They are deeply saddened by the fact that the clock has been turned back to Orwellian times when all animals were equal but some were more equal.

What A Difference A Year Makes. Federer smiles again in Melbourne

2010-02-01T22:17:00.006+01:00

This time last year we saw a weeping Roger Federer after the loss to Rafael Nadal in that epic final.

Togo team banned from next two competion – CAF’s decision is insensitive and immoral

2010-01-30T22:54:00.010+01:00

The recent decision by the Organising Committee of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Angola, 2010 to ban Togo from participation in the next two competitions of the African Cup of Nations is an insult to common sense and a warped and vindictive interpretation of the rules that govern their tournaments. The CAF Organising Committee completely threw overboard the underlying philosophy of justice that guides every rule. A blind application of rules without any thought for the spirit behind the rule or law is tantamount to an abuse of the rule.

The Committee cited “Article 78 of Regulations of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, Angola 2010” as the basis for their decision. In any contract, there is the possibility of unexpected and disruptive events may that may excuse a party from the obligations of the contract. In a normal and sensitive interpretation, these become mitigating circumstances that temper the judgment on the breach of that contract. The lawyers refer to such an event as force majeure. What worse event than the death of some members of the concerned parties do we expect to occur before it begins to take a serious view of Togo’s breach? The dishonest extension of the argument to interpret the withdrawal as entirely due to the interference of the Government of Togo in the affairs of the Togo national Football Association is most unfortunate.

The statement issued by CAF is an insult on injury. Hear them “The Executive Committee and its president renewed their sincere condolences to the families of victims involved in this tragic terrorist attack which happened January 8, 2010. The attack was condemned by CAF and also a total support was given to the Togolese team.” What support can they give to the dead? What “sincere” condolence can you give to a group you are punishing for an unfortunate event that they had no control over?

Let us go back and analyse the whole situation. The Angolan government and the Organising Committee claim they were not aware that the Togolese team was travelling by road from Point Noire to Cabinda. If this is true, how did the team get the security squad that was escorting them to Cabinda? The bus was not a Togolese nor was the driver who was tragically killed in the event. But for the Angolan Security men escorting the team bus, all members of the team could have been killed.

Immediately after the attack Rodrigues Mingas, Secretary General of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), said his fighters had meant to attack security guards as the convoy passed through the Angolan province of Cabinda, which is situated inside Congo. Rodrigues Mingas was reported to have told France 24 television. "This attack was not aimed at the Togolese players but at the Angolan forces at the head of the convoy, so it was pure chance that the gunfire hit the players. We don't have anything to do with the Togolese and we present our condolences to the African families and the Togo government. We are fighting for the total liberation of Cabinda."

The whole world saw video footage of a traumatized team. We heard what the team members said in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

According to a BBC report on that day, Togolese midfielder Alaixys Romao said the team was likely to pull out of the 16-nation cup.

"No-one wants to play," he said. "We're not capable of it. We're thinking first of all about the health of our injured because there was a lot of blood on the ground."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2010/jan/11/togo-team-home-africa-cup-nations

Despite their unfit psychological state, they were put under great pressure by the Angolan government and the Organising Committee to change their mind and play. So, who was interfering with the team’s decision, the Togolese government or the partnership of CAF and the Angolan government? Who knows what threats CAF made to the Togolese team to make them “change” their mind to stay on and play when they had explicitly told the whole world that they were too traumatized to play. Simply put, they were not in a proper psychological state to go into the tournament. The Togolese government did what any responsible government would have done in the circumstances. With relatives of team members bombarding them with questions and requests to bring the boys back home in accordance with the strong desire of the team members just after the attack, what should they have done? The Togolese nation went into mourning and they were fearful for the lives of the survivors.

Interestingly, the statement from CAF posted on their website does not mention the aspect of interference of the government of Togo. The decision appears to be entirely predicated on Article 78 which reads” A forfeit notified less than twenty days before the start or during the final competition, shall entail in addition of the forfeit of the entry fee, a maximum fine stipulated by the regulations as well as the suspension of the concerned national association for the following two editions of the African Cup of Nations.

Moreover, the withdrawal shall entail the forfeit of its share in the profits realised from the receipts. In addition, the Organising Committee may order the concerned national association to make compensation for any eventual damages.” Despite all the mitigating circumstances of the breach of the rules, the Committee applied the full weight of the prescribed sanctions. It will be observed that the Organising Committee ignored the provisions of their own Article 89 which says “Reserves are made as to cases of force majeure and shall be decided by the Organising Committee.”

Notice that there is no specific amount prescribed as the punitive fee in Article 78 – only “the forfeit of its share in the profits realised from the receipts.” What if there was no profit in this case, the Togolese FA still has to pay $50,000. This is an interpretation and application of law with a petty and rigid mind. They forgot to mention Article 90 which stipulates specific amounts. This was a very shoddy job of the Committee.

From the preliminary reaction of the Togolese government to the CAF statement, there is a clear indication that we have not heard the last of this matter. FIFA has a duty to intervene and correct this mindless, vindictive decision. Let common sense prevail in the interest of African football.

Fighting Al Qaeda: America's "Countries of Interest" - An incomplete list

2010-01-10T19:59:00.010+01:00

In the wake of the failed Christmas day suicide bomb plot, President Obama ordered a swift investigation to find out why there was a system failure. Last Tuesday, the world was told of the near catastrophic failure arising from information hoarding, communication lapses and general system inertia.

As a direct response to the findings of this investigation, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has announced that "Because effective aviation security must begin beyond our borders, and as a result of extraordinary cooperation from our global aviation partners, TSA is mandating that every individual flying into the U.S. from anywhere in the world traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening. The Nations that are state sponsors of terrorism were identified as Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria and the ten "countries of Interest"; Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.

Nigeria was included in the infamous list because of the singular act of its national, Abdul Umar Farouk Mutallab, the 23-year old mechanical engineering graduate of the University College of London who had been radicalised while studying in England and trained for his mission in Yemen.

It will be recalled that Richard Colvin Reid, otherwise known as the shoe bomber, was a member of Al Qaeda who was convicted by an American federal court for attempting to destroy a commercial aircraft in-flight by detonating explosives hidden in his shoes in December 2001. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in a super maximum security prison in the United States. His crime led to the new requirement of U.S. airline passengers having to remove their shoes for inspection before boarding. Richard Reid was born and bred British, radicalized to Islamic extremism at Finsbury Park Mosque in London. The series of coordinated suicide bombings on London's public transport system during the morning rush hour on July 7, 2005 were carried out by four British Muslim men.

In 2006, there was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada. Interestingly the explosive of choice was also PETN, the same explosive found on the Nigerian. At least 24 suspects were arrested and charged to court for terrorism offences. These were all British home grown terrorists. Most of these have been convicted. This incident brought to the fore the need to look at the British social system to see what the key factors were that enhanced the incubation of these terrorists.

The young Nigerian Abdul Mutallab became radicalised while studying at the University College, London. From England, he went to the Middle East to live out his new extremist faith. So I see a common thread in all of these incidents - the British society offers a favourable atmosphere for impressionable young people to become terrorists. The law in that country allows all kinds of Islamic extremists to use, with impunity, hate-filled messages to poison the minds of young gullible Muslims.

These instances of British terrorists clearly point to Great Britain as a country in which several terrorists have been produced. It then goes without saying that any list of "countries of interest" without Great Britain seems to me to be incomplete, if the single incidence of a Nigerian attempted bomber can qualify that nation to be in that list. In this particular case the father of the young man made a report to both the authorities in Nigeria and to the US Embassy in Nigeria. This indicates there is no intrinsic jihadist inclination or culture in Nigeria and that the Nigerian system does not tolerate it.

Newspaper reports indicate that the Committee on Foreign Relations of the US Senate has invited the father of the alleged terrorist to appear before the Senate on January 20, 2010. The letter which requested the former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria to testify before it stated that: “The United State Senate Committee on Foreign Relations would like to extend an invitation to Mr. Farouk Abdul Mutallab, former Chief Executive Officer of the First Bank of Nigeria, to testify before the Committee on the morning of January 20, 2010.

“Mr. Abdul Mutallab acted in a heroic fashion by informing US authorities of his concerns about his son’s whereabouts and activities and by seeking to disrupt what he believed could have been a dangerous situation. We would like to afford him the opportunity to discuss his experience with his son and to provide his recommendations on the process by which he worked with US authorities.

“I would also note that Mr. Abdul Mutallab's appearance would allow him to correct the negative press to which Nigeria has been unfairly subjected over the past two weeks.

If this is how the United States Senate feels about the role of Abdul Mutallab Snr in the failed bombing episode, the inclusion of Nigeria in the list of "countries of interest" is absolutely unjustified.

Roger Federer , King of Tennis - The Final Verdict

2009-07-05T21:02:00.009+02:00

The debate about who is the Greatest Tennis Player ever was concluded today when Roger Federer took Andy Roddick through over four hours of brilliant tennis to emerge winner of the 2009 Wimbledon Men's Singles tennis championships 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14. In this single match alone Federer served 50 aces - a record at the Wimbledon championships. The final set went to 16-14 and lasted over one hour.

All the Tennis greats were on hand to watch him prove his mettle. Rod Laver of Australia had won the tournament four times, Bjorn Borg of Sweden five times, Pete Samparas of the US seven times. Pete Sampras flew in from the United States especially to watch the final and to witness Federer break his record of 14 Grand Slam titles, a record which Federer had equalled when he won Roland Garros in May. At the post match interview with BBC Sports journalists, their verdict was unanimous - Roger is the greatest of all time, and come to think , he surpassed Pete Sampras's seemingly unbreakable record in a spate of just six years.

Long live the King of Tennis!!

Serena Williams - True Grit

2009-07-05T20:33:00.006+02:00

Serena Williams showed class to overcome her big sister Venus to win th 2009 Winbledon Ladies singles championship trophy. She exhibited a real thirst to win Wimbledon one more time. Serving very well and dishing out aces at will, she totally broke the resolve of her big sister in the second set of the final. She stopped any expectation of a classic when she overpowered Venus with her serves and finished off the second set at 6-2. This was the fourth meeting of the sisters in the finals of the ladies singles event and Serena's third victory in the ladies singles, having previously won in 2002 and 2003.

A few hours later, the two sisters teamed up to defeat the No.3 seeds in the Ladies doubles final. By these victories, Serena has reclaimed the No. 1 spot from Dinara Safina in the WTA rankings.

The Williams sisters - Too hot to handle

2009-07-03T18:11:00.016+02:00

Wimbledon 2009 has seen a fresh resurgence of Venus and Serena Williams. Throughout these two weeks they have exhibited a new standard of tennis. All the '..ovics' '..ova's and ..'evas' that have attempted to stop them have been literally brushed aside. Elena Dimentieva was the bravest and best of the lot in this year's championship. Having been knocked down by big sister Venus in the semi-finals in 2008, she tried to explore the possibility of going to the final via Serena this year. Once again despite a spirited battle which has been described as epic, she fell by the wayside. The anguish of Elena Dimentieva's mother who was watching the semi-final match just behind Daddy Williams was palpable.
In January this year at the Australian Open, the honour of teaching Dinara Safina tennis lessons fell on Serena. She took the task seriously and properly trounced Dinara. Dinara herself acknowledged the absolute dominance of Serena. Serena not only beat her but also prevented her on that occasion from becoming World No.1. Since then by dint of hard work and compettion in several WTA events, Dinara has snatched back the No. 1 position.
As the ladies World No.1, many expected that she would have the courage and audacity to challenge Venus's seemingly easy ride in this tournament. Alas it was not to be; she instead took in a few new lessons from Sister Venus. She was made to look not only ordinary but totally out of place in a Wimbledon semi-final event. Such was the severity of the trouncing that she looked dazed and humbled as BBC journalists tried to interview her just after the match. The ladies World No.1 position was embarrasingly disgraced. Again Dinara honestly conceded that she learnt a few more lessons from Venus. I am sure Venus and Serena do not mind giving the lesson 'free of charge'. They get their rewards shortly afterward in fat purses.
As if the singles dominance was not enough, the sisters have so far terrorised all opponents that have come their way this week in the ladies doubles game. The blowing away of the ladies doubles World No.1, the seasoned pair of Black and Huber at the semi-finals at 6-1 6-2 today tells a lot about their current form. They are simply too hot to handle and therefore unstoppable. Top of the Ace Table was Serena with 60 aces in this tournament at the last count. With their combined arsenal of hot serves, beautiful groundstrokes, agressive volleys and intelligent net play, Venus and Serena have placed themselves in a class apart from the pack at least on grass. Venus, afterall has a natural claim to the Venus Rosewater Dish which is the trophy that is awarded to the ladies' singles champion at Wimbledon since 1886.
On Saturday, they will again have a monoply of the ladies singles and doubles trophies. Long live good tennis!!

Fulfillment at last for Roger Federer - The Greatest Tennis Player Ever?

2009-06-14T13:53:00.009+02:00

Last Sunday at the finals of Roland Garros (the French Open tournament), Roger Federer the Swiss tennis maestro outplayed Robin Soderling of Sweden, defeating 6-1 7-6(1) 6-4 and finally achieved his dream of joining the select band of very special men that have won all four of the Grandslam tennis championships - the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US open. Before him, only the following tennis legends had achieved this feat - Fred Perry (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 3 Wimbledons, 3 US Opens between 1933 and 1936), Donald Budge (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 2 Wimbledons, 2 US Opens between1937 and 1938), Rod Laver (3 Australian Opens, 4 French Opens, 2 Wimbledons, 2 US Opens between 1960 and 1969), Roy Emerson (6 Australian Opens, 2 French Opens, 2 Wimbledons, 2 US Opens between 1961 and 1967) and Andre Agassi (4 Australian Opens, 1 French Open, 1 Wimbledon, 2 US Opens between 1992 and 2003). By this effort, he was also €1,060,000 richer and 2000 ATP points higher. This win also marked his 59th career title.

In contrast to his tears of frustration at this year's Australian Open, at Roland Garros, Federer shed tears of joy for a mission accomplished.

But more than winning all four grand slams, he also equalled Pete Sampras' record of 14 grand slam tournamment victories. Pete Sampras won 2 Australian Opens, 7 Wimbledons and 5 US Opens between 1990 and 2002. To his credit, Roger Federer has won 3 Australian Opens, 1 French Open, 5 Wimbledons, 5 US Opens between 2003 and 2009.

Details of Federer's wins:

Australian Open 2003, 2006 & 2007

French Open - 2009

Wimbledon - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007

US Open - 2004, 2005, 2006 2007, & 2008

Many in the tennis world have already proclaimed him the greatest player of all time, having won the highest number of grand slams at par with Pete Sampras and also having won all the four grand slams - a feat Sampras failed to achieve. At age 27, and in his current form, Federer has the chance to win many more grand slams.

With Wimbledon round the corner and the defending champion, Rafael Nadal not in his best form and fitness, it will be a matter of weeks before Roger Federer confirms beyond any doubt or argument whatsoever that he is indeed the best player the world has ever seen.

Long live the King of Tennis!!

PS: By the way, did you know of Roger Federer's African connection? His mum, Lynette Federer, is South African. Dad Robert is Swiss.

The Zuma Presidency - Who will be first lady?

2009-05-09T10:08:00.013+02:00

Today, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma will be sworn into office as the 4th President of post-apartheid South Africa. His political life has been full of interesting and controversial episodes - his sack as vice president, his accusation of rape and subsequent acquittal in court, his apparent ignorance of the dangers of HIV, his arraignment in court over corruption charges and finally his election to the top job despite all these odds. To say that Jacob Zuma is a colourful politician is an understatement.

As he assumes the presidency, the question bothering the minds of many Zuma watchers, especially women, will be 'Who will be his first lady?" The position of first lady is a very sensitive one. The laws of South Africa have made it very convenient for traditionalists like Zuma to be frankly and opening polygamous. In many other countries, men are ostensibly monogamous while infact they have a string of mistresses and illegitimate children whom they are often embarrassed to acknowledge when thy are in office. Jacob Zuma by being open about his polygamy does not bear this burden. He once told an interviewer “There are plenty of politicians who have mistresses and children that they hide so as to pretend they're monogamous. I prefer to be open. I love my wives and I'm proud of my children.”

Whatever harmony there may be at the Zuma polygamous home, there will be jostling for recognition among his three wives as to who will be designated First Lady. These are the contestants. His first wife Sizakele Khumalo has been married to him since 1973. She did not bare him any children and she still lives in his village of Nkandla, Kwazulu-Natal. He has publicly praised her and she is favourite to be “first lady”. Khumalo has the seniority and experience. His second wife is Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma who has the glamour and ease in social situations, and his third wife Thobeka Mabhija married this year, also an elegant woman known for her designer outfits.
For a start, Jacob Zuma has invited all three current wives and his nineteen children to the inauguration. Just in case you wondering how he got nineteen children given the record of wives I have indicated above, I should add that Zuma had two other marriages and besides, girlfriends also bore him children. His old flame, Minah Shongwe, has one son for him though she was never formally marrried to him. One of his earlier wives, Kate Mantsho Zuma, had five children with him but committed suicide in 2000. Another of his former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, despite a divorce in 1998, remains in his inner circle as a current member of cabinet. Nkosazana is also the mother of four of his children.

President Zuma alone can make the delicate diplomatic choice - which of his wives will be the country's first lady?
Will it be:
Sizakele Khumalo?
Or Nompumelelo Ntuli?
Or Thobeka Mabhija come lately?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/08/AR2009050803964.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

Obama's First 100 days

2009-04-29T09:53:00.005+02:00

President Barrack Obama has completed his first 100 days in office. Here is Newsmax's record of his performance so far - an anthology of the key acts and events of the first 100 days. Given Newsmax's well-known position as an Obama critic, this is a very objective catalogue.
http://www.newsmax.com/100days/apr_10.html

Will it be complete without a CNN analysis? See what the CNN report says.

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/44.president/first.100.days/progress.report/index.html

Watch the White House video below to hear directly from President Obama himself.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/100daysVideo

So He Bowed ! Obama bows off American Supremacy

2009-04-10T14:58:00.008+02:00

There is much hue and cry about Barack Obama' first meeting as President with the King of Saudi Arabia. The episode has been described as 'most unbecoming for a president of the United States'. Hear the flow of logic of the misobamists: President Obama bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia and showed himself to be subservient to the King, therefore made all Americans subservient to the King, the head of the muslims of the world , therefore took along along all Americans with him to become citizens of the Greater Saudi Arabia and by implicit logic Associate muslims. Poor Americans I totally sympathise with them.
Yes I can see that they are not enjoying their first week as muslims and already showing a rebellious side of their character. "When you catch the muslim bug you become rebellious". Maybe they were right when many Americans argued that muslims were inherently rebellious and prone to violence. We shall wait to see their upcoming violent streak.
Let's face it, Americans should not engage in self-delusion by thinking of themselves as being the supreme country in the world. It is such a delusion of supremacy howbeit unwarranted that makes Americans put on an air arrogance that George Bush so perfectly exemplified. Obama is changing all that and they are not liking it. Many Americans who are not islamaphobists have lightheartedly explained the "bow" as a pre-emptive ducking in case a shoe or other personal missile was thrown at him. One learns a few key tactical manouvres from predecesors you know!!
Many nations such as Great Britain respect the traditions and culture of other countries and peoples. I remember many years ago when the Queen of England visted Saudi Arabia, she was constrained to wear a drab long gown she was unaccustomed to. Obama showed respect to an older world leader in the same way as he respected the Queen when he met her in London last week. It is a reflection of his international upbringing. Some Obama watchers have gone on to suggest that he now be called President O'Bowman (given due credit to his Irish ancestry from his mother's line) for his ultra civility.
Many critics have compared the depth and the duration of the respective bows to the Queen and the King and have concluded that the bow to the Queen of the closest political ally Great Britain, was not as prolonged and deep as the bow to the King of the closest Oil ally, Saudi Arabia.
The message in this tale of the bows is that Oil is thicker than thin colonial links.

Africa is coming of Age in the Telecommunication World

2009-03-25T16:28:00.013+01:00

Recent developments in Africa indicate that the big gulf in the so called digital divide is narrowing and very soon access to the Internet will be easier and cheaper for African countries.
GLO and WACS Telecommunication Initiatives
In this Internet era, undersea cables have become a critical element of telecommunication networks. Modern undersea fibre optic cable systems have almost miraculously increased the technical capabilities to transmit enormous amounts of data around the world. The extra bonus is that the cost is also now significantly lower relative to copper cable systems and satellites. Telecommunication service providers have recognized the immense capacity of undersea cables to satisfy their rapidly growing data transmission needs. Globacom of Nigeria, a late comer to the Nigerian telecommunication market has taken bold steps to lead the way in the field by launching the Lagos to London fibre -optic cable link. The project has hubs along the West African coast and in Morocco, Portugal and Spain - 9,500 kilometres in length with a capacity of 640 gigabits. It is scheduled to be completed in 2009. West African Cable System (WACS) is another initiative being undertaken by a consortium of telecom firms - Telkom , Vodacom , MTN, Neotel, and Infraco. The WACS line goes from South Africa to England and covers the entire western coast line of the African continent -13,000 kilometres in length with a capacity of 3.84 terabits.
Undersea cable systems have become an integral part of the international telecom infrastructure for supporting rapidly growing bandwidth needs. Low bandwidth has been the bane of African telecom development. The constantly evolving technological improvements have reduced the infrastructure costs and improved the quality and availability of international services.
Technological advancements coupled with entreprenurial foresight are changing the telecom landscape in Africa. See below the current cable projects setting the stage for the coming telecom revolution in Africa.

http://manypossibilities.net/african-undersea-cables/

Rapping up the Flight Safety Announcements

2009-03-19T06:21:00.005+01:00

There are many ways to get people's attention to take in routine and boring information.
An American flight attendant has developed a new way of ensuring passengers pay attention during the pre-flight safety announcement by delivering it as a rap.
David Holmes of US airline Southwest raps and encourages the passengers to stomp and clap to give him an accompanying beat.
Check out the video via this link.

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/rapping-flight-attendant-a-rising-star-20090318-91w0.html

The Billionaire Feeling

2009-02-26T21:15:00.007+01:00

Yesterday, I became a multi-billionaire in one dramatic stroke. I was given twenty billionaire dollars by a friend I made just a few days ago. Shortly after I received the gift, I photographed it and locked it up in my room safe as any billionaire would probably do. Such is the security risk of going about with 20 billion dollars that I felt it was safer to leave it in a safe.

Before anyone begins to have ideas about possible soft loans from my new-found fortune, I should rush to add that these were Zimbabwean dollars. Despite the fact I cannot even pay for a local bus ride with the whole of my new wealth, the feeling of belonging to a select class of humans with several billions in their possession is itself exhilarating!

It is with mixed feelings I state that I owe my being in this special status to the absolute recklessness of President Mugabe and his government. Mugabe had broken the record set by President Mobutu, of blessed memory, who became the first head of state in Africa to make all his countrymen millionaires.

Zimbabwe - A new beginning?

2009-02-13T18:38:00.014+01:00

This week has marked a significant turning point in Zimbabwe's turbulent history. The Old Man who will turn 85 next weekend has agreed to share power with Morgan Tsvangirai of the rival MDC - the Movement for Democratic Change. This in itself is an achievement in Zimbabwean terms, yes, this is how badly things have degenerated!
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is a remarkable man by all accounts - a national hero of the Zimbabwean independence struggle turned villain and vicious tyrant. Very few persons in history will be able to match the ability and power to ruin a country to the extent Robert Mugabe has done through sheer stubbornness and power-drunkenness.
The economic facts speak for themselves: Unemployment - over 90%; Inflation -a mind-blowing 231,000,000%; national budget of 66,500,000,000,000,000,000-Zimbabwean dollars (66.5 quintillion) in 2009. These are figures that mock the concept of budgeting. All these digits mean in real terms a measly US$3 000,000, 000. Arithmetic must be a made a compulsory subject for the populace to grasp the meaning of all these zeros in the budget figures.
The general economic situation has become so bad and the human condition in the country so dire that retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa in a recent interview suggested that Robert Mugabe be made to go by all means including forceful removal.

Speaking on the sidelines of the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga suggested that the "dinosaur" 84-year-old should be offered a "golden handshake" to leave office. Mr. Odinga took a swipe at fellow African leaders who lacked the courage to tell Robert Mugabe to leave and said the world should tell him "the time to go is now, we are ready to give you a golden handshake if you will quit".

So this week, Zimbabwe has made a transition from a despotic monarchy to the semblance of a democratic government. The MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai is now Prime Minister at last. Mr. Tsvangirai and his MDC colleagues must not fail the Zimbabwean people by becoming complacent in the corridors of power. The whole world is watching anxiously and intently. There is a lot of international goodwill which must not be squandered. The humiliated Zimbabwean people do not have time to waste. For many faced with cholera and relentless famine, delay means death. Tendai Biti the new Finance Minister has one of the greatest challenges a politician has ever faced. Turning the current tide to make Zimbabwe habitable will be an act of faith, but then miracles are performed by men of faith. The road ahead is littered with all kinds of booby traps.

Already Morgan Tsvangirai's view of Mugabe has changed just two days after becoming Prime Minister. Hear him: "world needs to get over Robert Mugabe". We hope he is not being infected by the virulent bug that has changed the mindset of Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

As we wait for Robert Mugabe to celebrate his next birthday I can not help reliving this dream I had a few weeks ago that the Old Man finally let go his iron grip on Zimbabwe on his 85th birthday, Saturday February 21 2009. Yes, he retired so that new hands can rescue and steer the ship he has so thoughtlessly run aground. Am I being clairvoyant or was it wishful dreaming? Can that be the coolest gift Zimbabwe ever received?

Reflections of The 2009 Australian Open - Federer's Grief

2009-02-03T23:16:00.009+01:00

The pictures tell the story.

The deep pain of a shattered dream - Roger Federer's feet of clay. This video says it in a thousand words.

Women's Tennis: Return of the William Sisters

2009-01-31T17:50:00.019+01:00

This week in the searing heat on the courts of Melbourne, we have witnessed the return of the William sisters to the top of world tennis. On Friday January 30, Venus and Serena Williams crushed the pair of Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama. in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, to capture the women's doubles crown in this year's Australian Open Tennis Championship. Playing as the No.10 seeds in this tournament, the Williams sisters collected their third Australian Open - and eighth Grand Slam together - with a convincing win over the hard fighting Slovako-Japanese partnership who had knocked out the Tournament No.1 seeds (and World No.1) in the women's doubles, Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the quarter-finals . Mind you, Serena and Venus were also the women's doubles champions at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

On Saturday January 31st, Serena crushed Dinara Safina of Russia 6-0, 6-3 to regain the Women's singles title which she has now won in every odd numbered year since 2003. She had earlier, in the semi-finals, defeated Elena Dementieva, the 2008 Olympic singles champion. She joins Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles as four-time winners at Melbourne Park.

The first set of the final match against Dinara Safina lasted only 22 minutes, with Safina winning just eight points. And in just 58 minutes the match was over. During her speech after the end of the match, Dinara acknowledged Serena's absolute superiority in very clear terms. “She was just too good. I was just a ball boy on the court today.” Serena gave poor Dinara a lesson to remember in tennis. Serena was graceful in victory, hear her, "Dinara will have a great future - she is hitting so hard I just had to go for broke against her."

By this victory, Serena has regained the No. 1 position in the WTA rankings that will be announced on Monday February 2. She last enjoyed this position in 2002. Furthermore, according to the Guardian of London, she is now the highest prize money earner in women's sport with over £15m to her name. To add to the bargain, this victory marks her Grand Slam title No. 10 and Serena Williams has now clinched the seventh position in the all-time list of female Grand Slam singles champions (Billie-Jean King (12), Chris Evert (18), Martina Navratilova (18), Helen Wills Moody (19), Steffi Graf (22) and Margaret Court (24). Serena has joined that elite club of tennis queens. May her new reign last a long while!!

The latest football news and comment plus rugby, tennis, cricket and horse racing | Sport | guardian.co.uk

2009-01-31T16:09:00.000+01:00

The latest football news and comment plus rugby, tennis, cricket and horse racing Sport guardian.co.uk

Middle East: An Integrated approach- more of the same old rhetoric?

2009-01-23T12:40:00.003+01:00

It is refreshing to note that President Obama has within 2 days of being in power raised a formidable team to address the seemingly intractable Middle East problem. Does former Senator George Mitchell have the silver bullet?

Signed Sealed & Delivered

2009-01-21T18:48:00.005+01:00

Last night it was wonderful to behold the world showing great joy at the inauguration of President Barack Huissen Obama - signed sealed and delivered!! Is he the black Jesus as one Dutch newspaper suggested in its headlines? For now, let us just enjoy the moment.

Click the blog title to have glimpses of the inaugural boogie etc.

The Threshhold of Change

2009-01-20T10:24:00.008+01:00

This is a significant day in US political history. The redemption of America's image in the world starts today. The world awaits the moment, that point where the transition becomes the beginning and Barack becomes President Obama.

Never in the history of world politics has so much goodwill been shown worldwide to the incoming president of one nation.

Europe's Deep Freeze & The Ukrainian Gasline

2009-01-07T17:51:00.018+01:00

This week, Europe is experiencing unprecedented levels of low temperature (significantly below zero degrees Celsius). Purely by coincidence, the Russians are pressing their Ukrainian brothers to pay up their gas debts or get their supply cut off. The Ukrainian are insisting that they have paid up and making sure they will not lack gas no matter what the Russians say or do as long as the Russian gas pipelines pass through their territory. Many countries in Europe are beginning to receive less gas and are nearing a crisis situation. The Russians are accusing Ukraine of gas theft. Meanwhile some Europeans west of Ukraine partcularly Bulgaria and Slovakia are feeling the squeeze and freezing as the squabbling continues - no gas means limited heating in the homes.

I have looked around in these subzero temperatures and observed that the water birds have all disappeared to warmer environments because all the small water bodies which are their normal habitats are frozen - no place to swim anymore or even to search for food. Thank goodness, they can transport themselves by air at little or no cost. In their place, I see children skating (or walking and running about on 'water').
This week's temperatures are beginning to cast doubts on the gloomy predictions of Global Warming experts.

See more pictures

Back to the Grind

2009-01-05T14:42:00.004+01:00

After a well-deserved two-week Christmas break, we are back to the grind.

Fireworks in Gaza

2009-01-01T17:32:00.013+01:00

Last night fantastic fireworks heralded in the new year across the datelines as the 2009 crept in from the South Pacific. The sights in Sydney harbour, Hong Kong, Beijing and the London Eye were a pleasure to behold. However, in the Middle East, fireworks were banned for the New Year celebrations in view of the war situation in Gaza.
Here in the little town of Huissen on the surburb of Arnhem, there was a free-for-all in firework displays as youth who had been itching to let off, released all they had to the night sky. There was a cacophony of sounds and the sky was lit up in flares of all colours and configurations. There were loud bangs, hissing sounds, crackling and whistling sounds as of bullets and other military projectiles. I stopped to ponder that for us, these were sounds and lights of merriment and celebration to welcome a new year but over the Gaza strip this same night, the fireworks of the Israeli Defence Forces were the harbingers of death and destruction. I watched our local fireworks and experienced the blinding flares, the booming noises and the incessant activity in the sky above. Fortunately the threat of imminent death was the all-important missing factor. Last night, I empathised the plight of the helpless citizens of Gaza. My heart went out for the terrorised people of Gaza.

Person of the Year - A well-deserved Honour for Obama

2008-12-29T15:03:00.005+01:00

It is heartening to know that Barack Obama has been voted the Time magazine Person of the Year 2008. I am sure that many people all over the world will agree that Barack Obama has many a tremendous mark on the American political landscape.
By his achievement, many young persons all over the US and indeed the world have realised that hard work has its reward and that the sky is the limit. The dark veil that conditioned achievement limits to be dictated by personal backgrounds has been torn apart and lifted and all now have unfettered access to the hallowed sanctuaries. By his personal tenacity, Obama has proved that the audacity of hope brings success. see video

Memories of St Lucia

2008-11-17T04:01:00.003+01:00

American Politics Redefined

2008-11-08T18:22:00.009+01:00

Tuesday November 4 has been etched in the annals of American history as the date when American democracy finally came of age. The atmosphere was electric, the euphoria was fully justified !! Barack Obama has just made the second moon landing in American history. One big step for Obama and one giant leap for America!! The world was waiting to celebrate.

Watching CNN that night was like watching the festivities of New Year's eve. We saw cheering crowds across all date lines .- It was a night of singular honours and firsts! In the coastal town of Japan called Obama, memories of the pain of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were wiped out by the symbolic victory of Obama town crowned as President-elect of the United States of America. The town roared in a victory chorus. The Japanese have had the last laugh as they captured the White House without firing a single shot - in accordance with their post Second WW non-aggression philosophy. Obama became the first town to win a presidential election. The Chinese were ecstatic. Even the reclusive North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung had his latest picture published to show that he was still alive and ready to dialogue with President Obama. In Indonesia, one primary school claimed victory as the only primary school outside the USA to have produced an American President.

As we headed west across the time zones, we came to Russia where, it was the first time an election victory was heralded in with a threat from the Kremlin. In next door in Iran, there was also a first - it was the first time President Ahmadinejad has made a complimentary remark concerning an American event. In the Kenyan village of Nyangoma-Kogelo it was a unique first - the first village in the world to produce the world most powerful political figure. The men were particularly proud of the ability of the village to scatter their seed to all corners of the world. All boys born that day were automatically named Barack and the girls, Michelle.

Back in the US, the import of the victory was a beautiful sight to see - personified in all kinds of emotions, a madly ecstatic crowd, imagine a weeping Jesse Jackson, a Colin Powell so charged with emotion you could feel the tears held up behind his eyes. It was the day! The significance of the victory is that anyone who works hard enough in the US will achieve his dream. Barack had a dream since his primary school days when he wrote an essay, 'I want to become a president'. The American social and political environment has matured enough to make all dreams possible for all those who care to strive. America has put its past behind it and has moved on to an era in which all have equal opportunity to express their full potential, irrespective of their demographic label. Indeed true to Dr. King's dream, America has risen up and lived out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

The road was long and arduous and full of a wide variety of enemy combatants. The enemy combatants came in all forms - from the overconfident matrons to the unbelievably naive and ignorant beauties. Some of these combatants later joined forces with the victorious army of Obama to capture the final objective.

As with all lunar events, the euphoria will die down, the honey moon will be over and then the hard work will begin.

For Barack Obama, the challenge is massive, there are great expectations from all corners of the world, even the Taliban it is rumoured, is expecting its goodies, howbeit crumbs, from Obama's sumptuous table. As Obama aptly put it, we can do it together. Yes, we can!! We trust that God will give Obama the wisdom to navigate successfully through this mine-ridden ocean of opportunities and threats.

The Right Thing To Do

2008-11-02T21:53:00.004+01:00

Vice President Dick Cheney did the right thing when he endorsed Senator McCain's candidacy a few days ago. Senator McCain has been a very strong supporter of the policies of the Bush-Cheney administration and it was therefore only fair that they give him their explicit support in his hour of need.
Dick Cheney however killed two birds with one stone as he tactfully overcame his personal dilemma - do you support your political buddy or do you support your cousin? In this single move, he supported both of them. What better endorsement do you need than that of the sitting vice-president of your country and party buddy. But by endorsing McCain he extended the burden of the political albatross to McCain's neck. By that one act, he strongly associated McCain with the Bush administration and their failed policies and also provided canon fodder to his cousin Barrack to finish off Senator McCain. This is one endorsement McCain would have preferred to receive discreetly without the news media even knowing about it.

The VP Debate

2008-10-04T22:55:00.002+02:00

The CNN analysis of the performance of Palin and Biden in the recent debate simply means that Biden is the better communicator, that he reached a wider audience. In reaching an audience at the eight grade level, he has automatically reached all those above that level. He had, on average. more sentences per paragraph which implies they were shorter sentences and therefore more likely to be clearer and comprehensible.
Theoretically therefore, more members of the American electorate picked up and understood Biden's arguments. That is what politicians should always strive to do - reach the widest possible spectrum of the electorate. Joe Biden was the better tactician in the war of words.
Rodger

2008-09-05T14:43:00.000+02:00

A New Dawn of Change

2008-06-07T00:16:00.000+02:00

Tuesday, the 3rd of June 2008 marked the beginning of a new era of American politics with the victory of Illinois Senator Barak Obama over his arch rival Senator Hillary Clinton.

Obama's victory over Clinton is a victory for America and it marks the threshold of political emancipation in the US. Oh the Great Martin Luther King would smile in his grave. This unbelievable victory would indeed "will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation"

America has put its past behind it and has moved on to an era in which all have equal opportunity to express their full potential, irrespective of skin colour. Indeed true to Dr. King's dream, America has risen up and lived out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

We can now leave behind all the acrimony of this long and closely fought campaign as Barak and Hillary bury their hatchets and make peace that would unite the Democratic Party and make the democrats forge ahead in the battle for the main prize the Presidency itself. Oh, how things have changed!!

Obama has been brilliant in his strategy, his well choreographed speeches, his deep understanding of the American psyche and in his calm confidence in his ability to bring about change. If only all young men can live out their dreams, what a wonderful world it would be. Obama believed in the audacity of hope and has lived it out.

Because of Barak Obama a new generation of Americans now have vistas before them to live out their personal dreams. I do not take the view as many do, that it was a victory for the black race. For me, this is a victory for all Americans - native Americans, black, white, hispanics and all, that they can now absolve themselves and live beyond their dark ugly past.

Let us rise to toast the New America and watch with eagerness to herald the soon-to-be President of the new era, President Barak Obama.

Yes We Can and We Will!!!

The Immunisation of Obama against common political afflictions

2008-05-12T18:16:00.000+02:00

The practice of immunisation in public health is based on the principle that a person is deliberately infected with a mild version of a known pathogen so that his immune system can build up resistence and ward the danger if and when the real thing comes.

In political terms, Hillary has administered the immunisation programme that Obama has been exposed to. The Hillary vaccine had little attenuation and at times appeared quite potent and unsettling but Obama pulled through without serious consequences. Having pulled through, he can stand quite strong and confident that when the real infection comes in the virulent form as the McCain bug in the autumn, it will only be a question of a few sneezes and coughs and he would be just fine.

In boxing terms, Hillary has been a very effective sparring partner, giving Obama a hell of a fight but leaving him to go to the main fight without broken bones and head injuries.

Hillary is not done yet as she has vowed to fight until the best man is left standing and according to her the 'best man' may well be a woman. Obama should be grateful to Hillary for her doggedness, her tenacity to fight till the last drop of sweat or perhaps blood, if she can spare some, even if some streaks of meanness and arrogance were shown. It was meant to be and Obama should take it in good stride.

After Indiana and North Carolina, the American people have seen it all and even the super delegates are beginning to move over to the right camp - now in trickles but soon in full flow. Hillary has done her bit to ensure that the Democratic Party wins the presidential elections in November.

Mrs. Thompson’s 5th Grade Class

2008-05-09T19:09:00.001+02:00

ONE OF THE BEST STORIES I'VE EVER HEARD!!!

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big 'F' at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around.'

His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.'

His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken.'

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.'

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.'

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her 'teacher's pets'.

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honours. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favourite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favourite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.'

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, 'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you.'

(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

See a video version of the story

Warm someone's heart today, pass this along. I love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it. Just try to make a difference in someone's life today? Tomorrow? Just 'do it'.

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it! 'Believe in Angels, then return the favour'

Sent to me by a friend

Gmail - picture - obuborodger@gmail.com

2008-05-07T19:49:00.000+02:00

https://mail.google.com/mail/?zx=qde2toxv0exe&shva=1#inbox/119c43ded1ab1370

End of A Restful Weekend

2008-05-06T17:45:00.000+02:00

May days and Queen's days and Liberation days all add up to a long and restful "weekend". Back on the beat.

The Austrian Sonar Probes

2008-05-02T22:37:00.000+02:00

It is interesting to know that Austrian Police say investigators are using a sonar probe to make sure there are no more underground dungeons at the Fritzl property where the man held his daughter captive for 24 years.
I would go further and suggest that they should do the sonar probing of cellars nation-wide, to free any unfortunate person who might still be in cellar. This is a time to be proactive not reactive.

Cleansing Austria's Image - The first step

2008-05-02T01:50:00.000+02:00

The Austrian authorities have in the days, following the exposure of the most bizarre crime in recent times, sought to reject any insinuation or suggestion that there is anything typically Austrian about this crime. However the fact that two similar crimes have been uncovered within a short space of time is worrying. For Austria to absolve itself and improve its image, it must take clearly visible efforts to inspect all cellars to ascertain that no unfortunate victims of abduction and imprisonment are left in some domestic dungeon. All Local Government Authorities should instruct residents to open up their cellars for inspection. After all, no one imagined that we could get to this after the Natasha Kampusch incident in 2006. This is the simple first step Austria must take to redeem its image.
Since the unfolding of this bizarre event, witnesses have been said have come forward to claim they saw or heard unusual activity, such as Fritzl allegedly struggling under cover of darkness to bring large quantities of food and water into his home through a rear entrance. Let all those that have similar suspicions now come forward so that the nation can deal with this type of crime once and for all.

Weird Stories from Austria

2008-04-30T20:23:00.000+02:00

The recent story of an Austrian incestuous father, Josef Fritzl, defies all imagination. He imprisoned his own 18-year old daughter, Elizabeth, and held her captive for 24 years. In the meantime, he fathered seven children by her.
Rosemarie his wife and mother of the victim must be one of the most naive people on earth to have lived with a man, who had a double life and regularly went to sleep with his daughter downstairs, without ever suspecting his actions and movements. A husband sneaks out in the night to his second home presumably on a fairly regular basis and there is no iota of suspicion.
This is the second case of abduction and imprisonment in a cellar in Austria. Not long ago another girl, Natascha Kampusch, escaped from her captor after eight years of imprisonment in a cellar. I think the Austrian Police should do random checks on cellars to find out how many unfortunate children are still locked up - Austrian cellars being very secure prisons on the one hand, and recreational centres for sexual perverts on the other.
This is a bizzare world!!!

Accra: Post-Nations Cup

2008-04-03T02:06:00.000+02:00

I arrived at Accra on Saturday March 31 - my first visit since the African Nation's Cup which Egypt won.
There is still a freshness that seems to have lingered on from the facelift the city received in the run up to the nation's cup. The roads are very tidy and all the buildings seem to be freshly painted - at least in my part of town.
It is also my first visit to Ghana since the revaluation of the cedi. Every 10,000 cedi has been compressed to just one cedi. The cedi now rubs shoulders with the US dollar (at US $1 to .94 cedi.). I had been curious to see what effect the revaluation woud have on general price levels. True to my expectations, prices of many articles and services have been rounded up in favour of the sellers. A price hike of 1 cedi seems insignificant whereas a price hike last year of 10,000 cedis was clearly significant and a seller would have given a lot of thought to it before implementing such a change. I found many of the items I tried to buy to be cheaper in Holland and just wondered what the common man in Ghana must be going through.
It was perhaps a good thing that President Yar Adua suspended the revaluation of the naira in Nigeria.

The Fickle-minded American Electorate

2008-03-08T23:15:00.000+01:00

It is very amusing to watch the democratic process in America. Up till last Tuesday, Democratic Party Presidential contender, Hillary Clinton was all but written off after Barack Obama had scooped up 11 straight wins. On Tuesday, he made it the 12th straight win by capturing Vermont. Later that day, Clinton's big moments came with wins in the primaries of Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas.
Suddenly Clinton's 'new momentum' is on everyone's lips whereas it had been known for months that she was the hot favourite in these delegate-rich states leading with double digits. The fact that Obama nearly cancelled the great advantage she had and the almost exclusive popularity she enjoyed was lost in the euphoria of her victory.
We shall wait to see what the reaction will be when Obama starts his next round of wins string with Wyoming today. The great number of undecided voters mirrors the degree of exposure of the American electorate to events both in their country and around the world. Americans seem to get informed about solutions to their problems only at political rallies and town hall meetings - a sad testimony to a people who would like to be considered as the most advanced electorate of the world.

New Begining

2008-02-22T23:57:00.000+01:00

I am back on this site after a long absence. Hopefully I can maintain the blog and keep a proper log of things.
The Winter Efteling is my starting point.