Attah Ogbadu

Have no doubt I enjoyed my time in Europe to the fullest.

It was a wonderful experience. An eye opener.

But my home is my home and I couldn’t stay away for too long.

While in Europe, I had the opportunity to read Jeremy Harding’s book The Uninvited – “Refugees at the Rich Man’s Gate” and this book touched my soul.

In his book Harding speaks about ‘The Uninvited’ and the phobia many in the West have for people migrating from poor countries an in particular their resentment towards African migrants. He also writes about the efforts and resources these so called ‘developed countries’ have spent in fortifying their borders against immigrants and  the creeping tide of European and American xenophobia.   

As a professional and well educated Nigerian you would think that I would escape scrutiny from their border officials. 

But I do not.

American and European immigration border officials never disappoint in their questioning and I’m often made to feel like a criminal when I’m just a simple tourist. Yet, I am never troubled because I know the reason for all this.

Circumstances, corrupt states and politicians and the continuous failure of the African people to rise up and demand justice.

As Africans, we wake up daily to injustices, nepotism, cruelty, corruption and filth. We are often witnesses to the excesses of those in power and many of us have suffered and continue to suffer at the hands of those entrusted with the task of improving the lives of the citizenry.

So it is no wonder that the American and European embassies in my home country of Nigeria and countries across Africa are often bombarded with visa applications.

Our people want to escape.

Our young people have no hope for the future and they expect that their futures will be brighter in Europe or America.

Time after time, these young men and women are denied entry into the US and Europe as they are deemed not qualified for entry yet they continue to travel many miles and line up outside their consulate’s doors day after day hoping and praying they wouldn’t be refused a visa-this time.

Why are so many of our people willing to risk life and limb to escape the shores of their motherland to seek their destiny in countries they have little knowledge of?

And if they can and do reach the shores of these countries many will have no means of supporting themselves.

I sincerely ask is it worth risking one’s life to make the pilgrimage to Europe only to end up in a prison called a refugee camp?

Is it worth leaving your country for America where you might be destined for a life cleaning streets or laboring endlessly caring for an ageing population?

I know the answer to these questions I’ve heard them often but I’m still shocked when confronted by the declarations of ‘the grass being greener on the other side’  from the average African man or woman who at times seem more than willing to spend a lifetime toiling building the states of Europe and America.

Can they not see that Europe was not built in a day?

And that even with all its positives and achievements America too was plagued with various tragedies, catastrophes and wars yet they persevered and we must too.

By Che

Europeans clearly loved the Obamas judging from the reception Barack and Michelle Obama received on their European tour last week.

And last November Obama victory parties were held on every continent and in most major capitals across the globe as the world seeming revelled in the election of  the charasmatic, underdog candidate to the highest office in the world.

But how long will the world remain fascinated with the black man who became president of the world’s most powerful country?

If this were a Hollywood movie an Obama administration would usher in a new wave of world peace, end world hunger and provide free education and free health care to the entire world.

But this is no Hollywood movie and there will undoubtedly be no fairy tale ending to the Obama story.

Obama’s speeches, his rhetoric and his town hall meetings will always receive the attention any American president commands but eventually his fan base will dwindle and the millions across the globe that once viewed his administration with hope filled eyes will start to see him as just another American president and the honeymoon will truly be over.

Usually the American international political machine would be able to continue business as usual if domestic issues took priority during an administration but the American brand is so badly damaged that Obama needs at least one global success just to keep America’s number favorable in global public opinion.

Obama’s trip to Europe netted very few prizes for the President although European leaders were falling all over themselves and needed no persuasion to speak glowingly of the new president Obama was unable to wrangle any concessions from them on a coordinated economic stimulus plan. He did get 5 000 more troops for Afghanistan but that’s about it.

Obama was clearly the most popular kid in the class but he couldn’t convince all his friends to kick in some money for the class party.

States have their agendas and as other nations have started to advance their specific national or regional agendas in the last decade the US has been unable to counteract these global actors too bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan it has had to watch Russia, China and the European Union exploit this vacuum in world leadership. And these states will continue too and just as the US assumed the mantle of world leadership after World War II and used its economic might to build and coalesce a new world order China is now doing the exact same thing.

China needs resources for its growing economy and it’s been willing to pay top dollar for them earning it powerful friends and allies.

The US has been relying on money from China to pay its bills but more importantly the world isn’t sure whether or not it wants America to lead. American exceptionalism, is well, no longer viewed as exceptional.

America’s moral superiority once unquestionable after World War II has vanished. And millions across the world who once viewed American culture, products and people as the greatest and the best in the world aren’t so sure anymore for many America has lost its luster.

But can the shine be restored?

Rebuilding a brand is a difficult challenge for any CEO but an entire national brand might be too big a job to put on the shoulders of one man even if he does have the most powerful office and the most powerful people in the world to help him.

But we’ll have to wait and see two years ago who would’ve thought a black man by the name of Barack Hussein Obama would be leading ‘the free world?.’

Che is an independent political commentator who has lived and worked etensively in Europe and North America.

Abuja–Africa has it all. You name it Africa has got it.  

From its diverse population (forget those sad images shown on cable news channels or those late night appeals for donations), rich natural resources, wildlife, beautiful weather, great cuisine, rich culture and tradition the list goes on and on. 

But the continent’s most serious and worrying issue is BAD POLITICAL LEADERSHIP.

You see our current leaders do not understand the meaning of leadership and many lack vision and direction and their mistakes and egos have been allowed to plague and infect every aspect of our society.

Nigeria, my homeland, has not been immune from the problems plaguing other African states.

As a Nigerian, I feel immense pride when speaking about the efforts undertaken in the 1960’s by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe just to mention just a few.

However, it seems the days and years after independence were to be our brightest since our nation’s future seemingly grows dimmer with every passing year.

In the past decade have we seen another Chief Awolowo? No. 

Can we speak of another leader with the same reverence as we speak of Sir Ahmadu Bello? No.

And instead of the next Awolowo or Bello we have been saddled with a group of incompetent, underachievers who are either permitted or rewarded depending on which side of the gun you’re on at the time, to either grab the reins of power via military coup or by rigging elections. And this all takes place in coercion with the national security forces who have sworn a pledge to protect the people!

In the last ten years thousands, hundreds of thousands, have died either in religious, political or ethnic violence because of the insensitivity and brutality of these so-called leaders.

But truly, the saddest part of this entire scenario is that we are doomed to see it repeated over and over again it seems Africa will continue to fall prey to massacre upon massacre and no one cares. 

And Nigeria, like most of the states in Africa, is a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode.

While many of the problems of other African states failed to register on the radar of global public opinion, if Nigeria were to become or move closer to becoming a failed state the consequences would be felt around the globe.

If Nigeria were to explode its blast radius will be worldwide and the resulting casualties in the millions.

One failed state doesn’t normally signal the doom of an entire continent but in this case it could and we shouldn’t, WE CAN’T permit that to happen. 

Attaski is a graduate of  two prominent international relations program in England and Russia. And he currently works and lives in Nigeria.

Once a week he will be posting his thoughts on Africa so check back often if you want to get the real scoop on today’s Africa from an African.

We’re a new breed of  intellectual casually, free falling through the world.

Some of us are classically trained while others are organic creations of the street. We live and work in every corner of  globe. Africa. Asia. Europe. South America. North America and the Caribbean. We represent!  We speak different first languages and are ethnically, racially, culturally and spiritually diverse. Every day we will try to give you a brief glimpse into our world and we’ll try to be a sapient voice on the topics discussed. All we ask is that you recognize that our voice and  U R A GLOBAL FORCE.

The g-force team.