Stoking The Fires of Corruption: An International Perspective

Over the past few months there has been several governments tainted with corruption on the international scene, and these revelations have come about as a result of investigative journalists becoming more daring and their quest to tell the story as it is, and not the usual distorted views. Several huge amounts of monies badly needed to build hospitals, health centers, provide portable and good drinking water etc etc have been siphoned by certain individuals within their respective governments into numerous offshore bank accounts, leaving the innocent and vulnerable citizens in deplorable conditions.

In South Africa, the President is alleged to have used the state’s money to renovate his private residence in his hometown, Nkandla. This has been debated several times in the South African Parliament several times with some MPs calling for him to step down, but surprisingly Jacob Zuma survived a vote of “no confidence” when the matter was put to the vote. He would have been impeached if the vote had gone contrary. South Africa is also facing a problem where the Guptas who are very influential when it comes to appointments by the government and the awarding of contracts. All these are traces of corrupt practices that is giving South Africa a bad image on the international scene.

In Brazil, the President, Dilma Roussef is facing a possible impeachment over allegations that she manipulated the government finances to prop up the government on a sound economic footing. Thus she did not tell her people the true and real nature of Brazil’s economy. Most of her coalition partners have already deserted her and she is now accusing them of being traitors. The outcome of the impeachment proceedings will be out for the whole world to see. She has denied all the allegations leveled against her and the government.

Then here comes the #PanamaPapers or #PanamaLeaks which has revealed the hiding of huge sums of monies by several past and present leaders, politicians and influential businessmen and women in tax havens in several countries managed by the law firm Mossack Fonseca. Cronies and friends of several leaders have also been cited in the leaks. My question is why will they hide their monies in tax havens while the ordinary citizens in their respective countries pay the taxes to develop the countries? Indeed, these revelations have really highlighted the issue of money laundering and the dirty money used by some governments, drug barons and other individuals to propagate their nefarious, frivolous, luxurious and opulent lifestyles. As with several leaks, this one too will go unpunished as several tax havens exist in the Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands, Macau etc etc. The fires of corruption has been really stoked for a long time and the international dimension that it has gotten to needs to be addressed otherwise the ordinary citizens will rise up one day and put an end to it.

Why Always Africa?

The world is experiencing an influx of diseases every year and this is greatly affecting the continuous existence of humanity. These diseases are seriously reducing the population of the world and we must tackle them with all the seriousness that they deserve.

Sometimes I sit down and ponder over how these diseases emerge. Are they natural or man made? Were these diseases created in the laboratories somewhere by someone or a group of people connected to the big pharmaceutical companies? Who benefits when these diseases emerge and wreak havoc on humanity? These questions, I know the answers will be forthcoming soon from my esteemed and cherished readers and followers.

Some of the diseases are the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Bird Flu/ Avian Influenza (which is known to have affected human beings too), the Ebola Virus, HIV AIDS Virus, Swine Flu, Mad Cow Disease, Dengue Fever, Lassa Fever and now the Zika Virus. In fact these are just a few of the numerous diseases that one can make mention of. But the plot thickens when every time a disease wreaks havoc, the western scientists quickly trace its origins to Africa. They did same with the HIV AIDS Virus, Ebola Virus and now the Zika Virus too.

We are being told by these same scientists that the Zika Virus originated from Uganda, Africa. Africa must stand up and debunk these lies being peddled by the western scientific community. Why blame everything bad on Africa? Just like how the western media always like to portray Africa as a land ravaged by famine, drought, war, conflicts and under development, their scientists seem to be towing that same line. The western media seldom show good pictures from Africa. Even if they show good pictures the time allotted to these pictures is just a minute fraction of the time they will give to bad news from Africa. These same western media houses will show a bad story from Africa over and over again just to tell to the whole world how bad the situation in Africa is.

Back to the diseases ravaging the world. From what I read (I stand to be corrected), a certain NGO being sponsored by one of the richest men in the world recently released Genetically Modified mosquitoes in Brazil, and a few months down the line the Zika Virus emerged and the epicenter of the outbreak is in Brazil. Mosquitoes are seen as the main organisms that spread the Zika Virus.  This baffles me and I still cannot come to terms with it as to why that was allegedly done. Is it a ploy to control the world population or a conspiracy by the big pharmaceutical companies to make money by selling their vaccines or antidotes? This same strategy is being used by the big arms and weapons producers. They create conflicts in many parts of the world through their proxies and they use it as an opportunity to sell their weapons to both sides. Lets see what the WHO will do about the spread of the Zika Virus.

I will end by asking these questions, are these diseases being used to control the world’s population? Why blame Africa all the time? Your comments are welcome and don’t forget to follow and subscribe to my blog.

Europe's Headache

For the past few weeks we have been seeing thousands of refugees from Syria heading towards Europe to seek asylum as they are running away from the war that has ravaged their once beautiful country, Syria. Boat loads of these Syrian refugees made the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

This action taken by the Syrians was initially met with a hostile attitude by most of the European countries they are trying to move to. They stuck to that stance until the some of the Syrians drowned in the sea with majority of the casualties being women and children. Horrifying pictures of children washed ashore on the Turkish coast were splashed across the tabloids and on the television screens and this immediately caused a serious outrage throughout the world.

Now Europe will have to bear the brunt of the thousands of Syrian refugees knocking on their door seeking asylum and safe haven from the civil war ravaging their country. Germany, Britain, France and other European countries then agreed to accept a substantial number of the refugees.

This crisis is seen as the Law of Karma at work. Europe has to bear this headache and learn from it. Several questions come to mind: Who is responsible for the rise of ISIS in Syria, Libya and Iraq? What happened to the political solution suggested by the Russians to end the civil war in Syria? Where does the rebels in Syria and ISIS get their weapons from and their source of funding? Who benefits once the Syrian President Bashar Al Assad is kicked out of power?

It seems the plan did not work in Ukraine and the Russians were able to move in fast and thwart the efforts of the 'Invisible Hands' behind the Ukrainian crisis. This plan was to install a puppet regime in Ukraine and cripple the Russian Naval fleet in Crimea but this did not work. Now the other plan was to make sure Syria had a puppet regime and with Assad kicked out, their friends in Qatar will pump gas through Syria to Turkey and then to Europe. Thus, Europe will no longer depend on Russian gas and this will greatly affect the Russian economy and bring Russia down to her knees. Now this plan also seems to have backfired with weapons falling into the wrong hands thus the emergence of ISIS.

Europe must think of a political solution to the Syrian crisis and as the Syrian president said, he will only step down when Europe is able to deal with the terrorists in his country. Right now, it seems this civil war has turned into a proxy war with the Russians moving in to support the Syrian government to fight the rebels (terrorists).

The earlier a political solution is found to this Syrian crisis, the better for Europe as the Syrian refugees have nowhere to go but to cross the sea and come to Europe. This will be one headache for Europe that even all the pain killers in the world can not cure. Some headaches can be very serious and this one is more than serious for Europe to bear.

Burundi; Not Again In Africa

I have been monitoring reports on all media platforms about the unfortunate turn of events in Burundi for the past two weeks and it seems the situation is deteriorating with each passing day. I think the African Union and the International Community, especially the United Nations should impress on the incumbent President to drop his idea of seeking a third term in office.

The situation has to do with opposition parties protesting against President Pierre Nkurunziza's desire to seek a third term in office and have gone ahead to set a date for elections to be held. As a result of the protests, about twenty people have been confirmed dead with many of the protesters also injured as due to the manner in which the security forces are trying to quell the protests. This region has already had its share of violence and conflicts in recent years. Rwanda and DR  Congo have had their own share of conflicts with the former still trying to battle rebels who have hampered the country's stability for a long time.

Due to  the crisis in Burundi, hundreds of Burundians are fleeing across the borders to DR Congo, Tanzania and Rwanda. As usual the International Community will fold their arms and wait for the situation to get out of control then they will quickly evacuate their citizens and watch as the Burundians kill each other. I pray and hope it does not get to that level. The President of Burundi must be made to respect the Constitution which prevents him from seeking a third term in office. He must also be blamed for the deaths that occur as a result of the decision he has taken to disrespect the constitution. This situation must be nipped in the bud before it creates a serious humanitarian crisis in the region.

Its high time African leaders are made to know and understand that the countries they rule are not their personal properties. The African Union must be tough on this attitude of some African leaders who do everything possible to stay in power for as long as they want. Africa does not need another conflict such as the one simmering in Burundi. Innocent lives must not be sacrificed due to the selfish ambitions of an individual and his cronies. #AfricanLivesMatter.

The Journey of Death 2

For many centuries human beings have moved from one geographical area to the other for several reasons. Some travel in search of greener pastures, religious freedom, to tour historic sites, to flee from conflicts and wars in their countries. In fact the reasons for traveling are numerous and these travelers encounter a lot of hardships and misfortunes when moving from one place to the other.

Africans are known to be traveling to all  corners of the earth for some of the above reasons. But the journey so far has been one characterized by death. This happens especially to those who wish to go through the desert and also cross the Mediterranean Sea and get to Europe illegally. They fall prey to the so called connection men who try to ferry them across the Mediterranean Sea in their rickety boats. Most at times they charge them exorbitant fees before they board the boats. Many of them do not reach their intended destinations as often the boats capsize and the migrants drown in the sea. Thus the Mediterranean Sea has now become a grave for many of these travelers who want to get to Europe at all cost.

This journey i call the "Journey of Death" because of the perils and dangers involved. Most of these illegal migrants are from Libya, Eritrea, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and other parts of West Africa. They have the notion that once they make it to Europe, they will get the opportunity to get a job, make some money and send some home for the upkeep of their families.

But who is to be blamed for these senseless deaths? African leaders have failed woefully to better the living conditions of their people. They rather tend to pay attention to misplaced priorities and forget totally about the plight of the people. If they also use the revenue generated from the natural resources judiciously, there will be no need for Africans to brave the perils and dangers of the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea before they reach Europe. The blood of the thousands  of illegal migrants who have died in the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea is crying out to Mother Earth. What can Europe do to stem this tide? Your suggestions are welcome.

The Afrophobic Attacks In South Africa

The world went on a jubilation spree when Nelson Mandela was released from prison and this signaled the beginning of the end for the apparthied system in South Africa. I remember that afternoon very well because i was glued to my father's black and white television set. I was so much interested in happenings around the world at that very young age. That was one of the moments i will forever cherish in my lifetime.

I also remember watching the reactions of several world leaders and victory parades held in almost all of the African countries. I still have that nostalgic feeling of that glorious day. Most African countries supported the ANC in their fight against the apparthied regime. This was a brutal struggle and the black South Africans who were in the majority were being discriminated against on several fronts, thus they became fed up with the system and took up arms to fight for their legitimate rights.

Thus, elections were held and Nelson Mandela won with an overwhelming majority to become the first black president of South Africa. They then gradually started to consolidate their rule. Many years have passed and successful elections have been held in South Africa. We were then taken aback when xenophobic attacks against fellow black Africans by South Africans took place with a lot of foreigners loosing their lives and properties. This was somehow stopped and normalcy prevailed.

Fast forward to 2015, we were met once again with attacks on black foreigners by South Africans in the major cities and towns. It seems the police is not doing much to curb and control the situation as shops owned by foreigners are looted and burnt with a number of these foreigners loosing their lives.

My question is, is this how South Africa repays the rest of Africa for helping them get rid of the appartheid regime? What have we done wrong to deserve these barbaric acts? Other African countries can also retaliate by expelling the South African envoys, boycotting South African owned businesses etc etc.

I see these attacks as afrophobic and not xenophobic because only black African foreigners are being attacked. God save our brothers and sisters in South Africa. Those behind these attacks must be found and dealt with. These are crimes akin to war crimes and i hope the ICC is watching. The indictment should come fast for whoever made statements to incite these afrophobic attacks to be hauled before the ICC to face the full rigours of the law.  

Well Done, Nigeria

The world is full of uncertainties as we all know. Several countries have been bedeviled with chaos and conflicts at certain times and in all these cases the civilian population bears the brunt of those in power and those fighting to kick them out. Women and children are the most vulnerable when in times of conflict. The African continent is no exception to these upheavals as in several African countries there is chaos and confusion before, during and after general elections.

The Ivory Coast went through such an experience when the incumbent President, Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept the outcome of their general elections and accused the opposition led by Alhassane Outarra of rigging the elections. This further degenerated into a conflict with both sides committing atrocities. Gbagbo had to be forced out and he is now at the International Criminal Court in the Hague facing trial for war crimes.

Whenever there is going to be an election in any African country, the whole world especially the International Community watch with skepticism as to what will happen before, during and after the elections. Some investors tend to relocate their valuable investments from that country after assessing the situation to see whether there will be chaos and confusion after the results have been announced. It is also very rare in Africa for an opposition party to win an election as the ruling party abuses the power of incumbency to the fullest to win the elections. But Nigeria proved the whole world wrong as the opposition party, the APC defeated the ruling party, the PDP for the first time since independence in the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.

It came as no surprise as it happened in Ghana during the 2000 general elections when the opposition NPP defeated the ruling NDC and there was a peaceful transfer of power. Nigeria also picked up from there as the defeated incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan called the newly elected president, Muhammadu Buhari to concede defeat and congratulate him. This single act put the doom sayers to shame as most of the international media were just ready to report anything negative as a result of the outcome of the elections.

Nigerians have really shown maturity and the chairman of the INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega must be highly commended for remaining calm and cool in going about his work. I will like to take this opportunity to wish the new Nigerian  President elect, His Excellency General Muhammadu Buhari all the best in ruling Nigeria.  The world will be shifting their attention to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Togo, where elections will be held later this year. Lets pray and hope for peaceful, free and fair elections in these countries. I pray and hope all Nigerians will join hands with his government and chart a new course for the country. God bless Nigeria, God bless Africa. Well done, Nigeria, from Ghana, we say "ayeekoo".