Quick Shots

Back in Gidi and on the way to Osogbo for the festival and some additional research on my yet to be completed novel. Just some quick thoughts on recent developments:

- My Friend Dr Fayemi lost his Tribunal challenge to the last election for Governor of Ekiti state but I believe he will win the war. The discipline and professionalism of his campaign as well as hamdling of his case is quite unusual in the Nigerian political terrain. He is a truly thoughtful, caring and committed leader who deserves a truly impartial panel. All those who have the onerous duty of adjudicating the election tribunals have my initial respect unless something else comes to light that challenges their impartiality. In the end either through appeal or otherwise the country needs more of Kayode Fayemi not less.

- Another Obama Foreign Policy astuteness is being ignored by the press in general and the US media in particular. His position on the dispensability of General Musharraff as an ally and his concern about the policy that ties the US to his regime rather than allying with the broader aspirations of people of Pakistan is emerging as the wiser counsel as well as position. On the other hand McCain's position is that anything that undermines Musharraff puts US interest at risk. Well Musharraf is gone. Also the press in general applaud McCain's tough stance in support of Georgia never mind his total lack of credibility or impartiality as a paid supporter of the policy position of the current President of that country. I suspect many people in the West including the present occupiers of No 10 Downing street have not scaled up enough to see what is emerging. I suspect Senator Obama might have a clue with his more nuanced position. Russia is not Zimbabwe and China is not the Sudan both countries have a world view independent of reactions to the west that is backed by social, economic and increasing military power. How long will it take before they realise if they align more closely they can redefine leadership in many parts of the world away from the US and the West . The West's assumption of superiority sounds increasingly hollow as their economies wane, their military is held down by irregular and largely untrained forces, their principles are compromised in the face of insecurity and fears, their people are polarised in bitter cultural wars. Why should China whose successful Olympics was in spite of all attempts to derail it in the West or Russia which has regained its footing in spite of efforts to surround it with NATO lackeys feel any obligation or interest to listen to the West?

- The Nigerian Stockmarket is on a downer right now and it is not helped by the fact that we have a reactionary Federal government who is hell bent on structural intervention without spending anytime understanding the dynamics or even mapping the processes. If the newspapers are anything to go by the new idea is a government panel on the stock exchange. Not sure that the total sum of the vision that is Law and Order amounts to more than a piece of Akara from Osu. We will see soon but the incompetence of the Government might itself be a God send because it leaves room for the private sector to step up its game. The problem is that the Nigerian private sector is almost entirely transaction driven rather than transformation oriented. Watch this space.

Any way in all white and off to the Osun festival. Expect some pictures and lest i forget a big shout out to Tari who had a A* and A in his early GCSE's thank God you got your mothers brains not mine!