IS IT ME? by Subomi Plumptre - Lagos, Nigeria.

In rage I bellow at the elements by which I am proscribed
I spit in the face of the inevitables and unmovables
I rant, rave and curse the invisibles that mock my pain
And I puff in puerile futility at the internal inferno that consumes me

In relief I embrace the kisses of the morning
I revel in accomplishments old & new
I rediscover old forgotten consorts
And accept life’s gifts with grudging acknowledgement.

In sadness, I ponder missed opportunities
Goals unattained
Mistakes unforgiven
And consider unremarkable chapters of an incidental past

I wonder, is joy to be found in deep reflection and intellectual pursuits?
And peace within the regimented life of a disciple?
Does happiness accompany self-correction & self-righteousness?
Is laughter friend to resolute will and determination?

I think not.
For surely laughter is for fools
And levity for the simple and childlike
They bear no burdens, ask nothing and understand little
Troubling not fate, they are seldom tasked by Life

Reaching for nothing; gaining naught
Existing; failing to live
Plodding in soldierly fashion; constituting the plebeian rank & file

Little wonder then at my desperate flight, reach & aspiration
The profligate spending of soul and sweat currency
My bold Archillean quest for immortality
And my liberal use of the crimson ink of legacy

I reach for glory, remembrance & permanence
And ruthlessly disown my twin brothers of fear and uncertainty

25/12/2009: The day Nigeria stood still.

On Christmas Day in the year 2009, just as Santa made his way across the arctic ocean, it is alleged that a young Nigerian (name withheld) boarded a transatlantic flight from Ghana to the United States bearing explosives in his underwear. The summary of the white house review of December 2009 corroborates this story.

In my opinion of the US as a global superpower, i find it a bit unnerving that the TSA could allow such a close attempt within its nations skies even after there were several reports made to US consulates, security and law enforcement agencies.

The white house in its statement admits to failures in intelligence, shortcomings of the watch-listing system among other findings. This is understandable as intelligence is not an end to itself, it is simply processed data which provides a framework that stakeholders are to act upon. The simple and only thing that should have been done by the US government and its agencies was to place the alleged bomber on the "No-fly List", but due to a systemic failure this was not done.

The US government despite their own admission of their errors still went ahead to place Nigeria on the terrorist watch-list. Nigerians were abashed; to say the least. We tried to do the right thing, we reported to the relevant authorities that there was a risk but No!, we still had to go down. The US senate later extended an invitation to the Father of the alleged suicide-bomber claiming it was an opportunity to correct the negative press the US had unfairly subjected Nigeria through.

It is unclear whether or not the Father honoured the invitation of the US senate but also to this day, little is known on the current situation of the alleged bomber. Whether or not this was a covert test gone bad, we might never get to find out, but the Nigerian image still remains marred. Nigerians have continued to be stigmatised at major airports worldwide, we need to take a stand against discrimination and unfairness from the global community. This is a clarion call to all peace-loving Nigerians!

Chris Ofili: Sponsored by Louis Vuitton.

'Hip, cool and wildly inventive' - The Guardian

'You can’t fail to be entertained' - The Times

'Modern Master of radiant colour' - Daily Telegraph

Chris Ofili’s intensely coloured and intricately ornamented paintings are on show at Tate Britain in a major survey of the artist’s career that brings together over 45 paintings, as well as pencil drawings and watercolours from the mid 1990s to today. One of the most acclaimed British painters of his generation, Ofili won the Turner Prize in 1998 and represented Great Britain at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003.

Ofili has built an international reputation with his works that bridge the sacred and the profane, popular culture and beliefs. His exuberant paintings are renowned for their rich layering and inventive use of media, including balls of elephant dung that punctuate the canvas and support them at their base, as well as glitter, resin, map pins and magazine cut-outs.

Ofili's early works draw on a wide range of influences, from Zimbabwean cave painting to blaxploitation movies, fusing comic book heroes and icons of funk and hip-hop. For the first time, these celebrated paintings are presented alongside current developments in his practice following his move to Trinidad in 2005. While adopting a simplified colour palette and pared-down forms, his recent works continue to draw on diverse sources of inspiration, and are full of references to sensual and Biblical themes as well as explore Trinidad’s landscape and mythology.

Definite highlights include No Woman, No Cry, 1998, a tender portrait of a weeping female figure created in the aftermath of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry and The Upper Room 1999–2002, a darkened, walnut-panelled room containing thirteen canvases depicting rhesus macaque monkeys. Each is differentiated in bold colours, and individually spot-lit.

Your ticket price includes an exhibition booklet priced at £1.50. Booklets are free to Tate Members and Patrons.

Working Knowledge from Harvard Business School.

Corporations could do a good job of running corrupt Third World governments.
Corruption rules in too many of the world's democratically elected governments. From Achocalla, Bolivia, to Mayuge, Uganda, voters pick their leaders through the ballot box, but an entrenched system of kickbacks, bribes, and graft means that citizens are cheated out of a fair government that operates efficiently and in the public interest.
It's time to consider a radical idea: Corporations and nonprofit groups, in addition to individuals, should be allowed to run for office in local elections. Firms such as KPMG, Ernst & Young, or McKinsey should all get a shot at becoming candidates to run cities and districts with a history of corruption. Entities that are experts at municipal accounting, consulting to foreign governments, or providing services like procurement support and corruption monitoring might consider becoming candidates.
This is not a call for privatization of services (like trash pickup), which is already widespread. Instead, it's a suggestion that the job of mayor itself be awarded by voters to a private firm. Unlike other privatizations, this would not be a one-off event. Every several years voters would get the chance to choose their administrator of choice.
While I am serious about this idea, I know that it can't work without the input of visionary policymakers who would hammer out all the details. If a company or nonprofit is elected mayor of Lagos, Nigeria, who would do the job? An individual, a group of people, or some sort of board? Where would those people come from? New York? Nigeria? London? To my mind, it should be left up to the elected entity. If KPMG wanted to fly in a vice president from the Chicago office, it could do so, or it could hire a group of three Nigerians. It could lay out its management plan as part of its election campaign, and voters would take that into account in making their decision.
Why would locals vote for a foreigner? If they felt it was their only option to get out of the high-corruption, low-efficiency rut. Keep in mind that in African villages, store owners paint Coca-Cola signs on the sides of their tin shacks. These signs are not sanctioned or paid for by the company. They are seen by locals as a sign of credibility.
Companies and nonprofits have stronger incentives than do individuals to steer clear of bribes and kickbacks. A corruption scandal in Lagos could harm KPMG's reputation in New York or Shanghai. Moreover, foreign firms are bound by many laws of their home country and by international laws, notably the antibribery convention of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. In addition, a company or nonprofit must demonstrate to its shareholders or donors that it can perform efficiently.
To state the obvious, companies must make money. How could running a local government be a profitable enterprise? In a word: taxes. Voters in corrupt municipalities currently pay taxes to finance mediocre government as well as embezzlement. They might very well be willing to pay the same, or higher, taxes to finance good government, which would include a profit margin to the elected firm.
Corporations might find that some parts of running a city are less costly than running a business. For example, successful firms or nonprofits would get free advertising through the popular press, eliminating their need for private marketing while increasing their ability to win elections in other locales around the world.
Citizens in mismanaged locales deserve to have the option to elect competent, noncorrupt management, from anywhere in the world, and to remunerate them as the job requires.

Erik Werker, HBS Unit of Business, Government and International Economy.

(Culled from Forbes Magazine)

460 dead in Jos, Nigeria.

Violence, again, erupts in Jos, Plateau State capital, today leading to looting and burning of houses - and dislocation of hundreds of people. Security officers have however been deployed to the scene and a police officer said the crisis has been contained.

The communal harmony and peace which the mining town used to have has broken down following several inter-ethnic clashes over the years. Security agencies have identified disagreement over indigeneship, ownership of Jos, politics, ignorance and unemployment as the major causes of the mayhem.

Hundreds of lives and property worth millions of naira were lost in the last major riots in the town, on November 28, 2008 which occurred over a local election. Both state and federal government set up parallel committees to investigate this. The state panel, headed by Bola Ajibola completed its work last year and had submitted its recommendation to the state government. The presidential panel is still conducting its sitting into the crisis.

(Culled from 234next.com)

Suyi Fred - Lawyer by day, Artist by night.

Suyi Fred is a young Nigerian based in the United Kingdom. A trained lawyer and alumni of the prestigeous London School of Economics, Suyi is a passionate artist and began drawing at a very tender age.

His works are inspired by his environment and the society. He will be exhibiting a collection of his works at the London School of Economics on Friday 12th March 2010 from 12noon till 4pm.

'' Ignorance is when you lack knowledge, Intelligence is when you have acquired knowledge. Arrogance is when you become overbearingly proud based on your knowledge.''

~ Suyi Fred.

The Journey Begins...

Hello World,

From the name of my blog, its a bit obvious what i have set out to do; to make Nigeria work. This promises to be an interesting ride as i involve everyone who cares in my quest to set my country back on the straight and narrow path.

MakingNigeriaWork is a campaign that hopes to compel both Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike on practical ways of helping Nigeria retrace her steps to glory. It is argued that Nigeria's main encumberance to prosperity is good leadership.

However, to give Nigeria good leadership we need credible elections, to have credible elections we need good leadership. This is where i am lost. How does Nigeria gain access to good leadership? I wish i knew, but join me as we attempt to find out.

Regards,

~TI.