Thursday, May 3, 2012
ECOWAS To Hold Second Extra-Ordinary Summit On Guinea Bissau, Mali
3 May 2012 04:17 Africa/Lagos
ECOWAS TO HOLD SECOND EXTRA-ORDINARY SUMMIT ON GUINEA BISSAU, MALI
ABUJA, May 3, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- ECOWAS leaders are to hold a second extra-ordinary session in Dakar, Senegal on Thursday, 3rd May 2012 to synchronize regional responses to the unfolding political crises in two Member States – Guinea Bissau and Mali.
The summit coming eight days after the one held on 26th April in Abidjan, will review developments in Guinea Bissau following the failure by the ECOWAS Contact Group Foreign Ministers and the country's military command to agree on the 12-month transition
programme brokered by the region, including the election of a new president to replace President Bacai Sanha who died last January.
Mali for its part has seen renewed fighting between the military junta that seized power last March and troops loyal to the deposed government.
The plenary extra-ordinary summit will be preceded by the meeting of leaders of the seven-nation Contact Group which was set up by regional leaders at their 26th April 2012 extra-ordinary summit in Abidjan, to follow up on the decisions on Guinea Bissau.
The Contact Group comprises Benin, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Senegal and Togo with Nigeria as chair.
The summit of the Contact Group will on Thursday review the failed negotiations between the Group's Foreign Ministers and representatives of the stakeholders, including members of the Guinea Bissau military command in Banjul on 29th April 2012.
In response to the failed talks, ECOWAS immediately imposed diplomatic, economic and financial sanctions on the country, as well as targeted sanctions on members of the military command and their associates.
Source: Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)
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Prince Tonye Princewill Donates a Media Centre To PDP
03 May, 2012
PRESS RELEASE
PRINCEWILL DONATES A MEDIA CENTRE TO PDP HQ AND URGES THE NEW NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE (NWC) TO RECREATE AND REPOSITION THE PARTY FOR THE CHALLENGES AHEAD.
Prince Tonye Princewill
Prince Tonye Princewill the Leader of Princewill Political Associates (PPA) and a chieftain of PDP on the 2nd of May, 2012 added a new feather to his cap when he organised his company the River Drill Group and some of his associates to donate a media centre to his political party, Peoples Democratic Party. The great event was witnessed by the National Chairman of PDP, H.E. Alh. Bamanga Tukur and all members of the National Working Committee of the party.
The Prince in a short speech during the presentation read on his behalf by his head of Media, Chief Eze C Eze reiterated his belief in the capability of the present leadership of the party under the stewardship of Alh.Bamanga Tukur. According to the Prince, he was motivated to embark upon this project when he visited the Headquarters of the party during the period that Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo was Chairman and saw the pitiable condition under which the Press Corps covering the activities of the party were subjected to due to lack of adequate office accommodation. The Prince who is a Columnist with the Vanguard Newspapers and a close associate of most of the Journalists in Nigeria stated that as a fellow Journalist he would do everything humanly possible to ensure the comfort of men of the Press in Nigeria.
Prince Tonye Princewill and Tony Blair (Former UK Prime Minister) at a buisness summit in New York, USA.
He pleaded with the new leadership of the party to recreate and reposition the party to greater heights and restore the confidence of Nigerians in the party by embarking on projects that will realign the party totally with the principles, ideals and vision of the founding fathers of the party. According to the Prince, “The acceptance of PDP and its perception by the public at the moment is too low, so drastic steps must be taken to restore the confidence of Nigerians in the party and stand it apart from Government. We all need to jointly recreate PDP to tally with the present democratic challenges! If we fail in this regard now that INEC has resolved to improve and better our electoral system, we might face a very different reality come 2015! The weakness of the opposition is down to a few recognized obstacles. They can be overcome“.
In his remarks after commissioning the project and taken a guided tour of the modern facilities/gadgets provided in the Centre with other members of the NWC of the party, the National Chairman of the party, His Excellency, Alh. Bamanga Tukur thanked the Prince and his associates for embarking on this lofty project within the few weeks of the election of the new National Working Committee of the party and urged other Nigerians to emulate the Prince and invest in the party as the main national party in Nigeria capable of taking the country to greater heights. He promised to take back the party to the people in tandem with the ideals and vision of its founding fathers.
Mr Obiorah Ifoh the Chairman of PDP Press Corps expressed pleasure and appreciation to the Prince for this great gesture and other projects he has embarked upon to lift the spirit of Journalists in Nigeria and assured him that his interest in this regard will not go unrewarded.
~ Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, Media Consultant to PPA.
Today is truly an honour for me; as I feel quite privileged being able to donate this Media Centre for use by the PDP Media Team and our distinguished crop of journalists sent to cover the activities of the Headquarters of our great party. The idea to embark on this project came about when I visited the Headquarters during the period when Dr Okwesili Nwodo was Chairman of the PDP. I was saddened by the conditions under which my colleagues the journalists were subjected. Despite this, they were expected to perform in the midst of grossly inadequate accommodation and perform they have. I say my colleagues because as a Columnist with a national paper like the Vanguard and with my adoption by the Rivers Federated correspondents Chapel as one of their members, I see myself more as a Journalist than a politician. I just hope that this modest contribution from me will assist in enabling them give out their best as d new NWC of our great party struggles to reform it and rebuild it to tally with the ideas and the vision of the founding fathers.
At this juncture let me once again thank President Jonathan Goodluck and other leaders of our great party for ensuring the successful election of H.E Bamanga Tukur (BMT) whose intimidating democratic and business credentials are there for even the blind to see. He is not only a true democrat, thoroughly detribalized, visionary, focused, energetic with an understanding of business, he is most importantly one of the founding fathers. That convinces me that we have the tools that can restore the party to a path of righteousness and democratic ideals under his stewardship. If we give him the necessary support, I am sure that he is capable of taking our party out of its sorry state occasioned by the highhandedness of previous leaders of the party. The acceptance of PDP and its perception by the public is too low, so drastic steps must be taken to restore the confidence of Nigerians in the party and stand it apart from Government. We all need to jointly recreate PDP to tally with the present democratic challenges! If we fail in this regard now that INEC has resolved to improve and better our electoral system, we might face a very different reality come 2015! The weakness of the opposition is down to a few recognized obstacles. They can be overcome.
As I conclude and hand over the keys of the Media Centre to the National Chairman of PDP for formal Commissioning let me thank my good friend and Brother Mr Olisa Metuh the National Public Secretary of the PDP who collaborated and assisted my media team immensely to get this project off the ground. As I pray God to grant him the wisdom ad enablement to assist the Chairman and other NWC members recreate and improve the battered image of our great party let me apologize for not being present to donate this in person as I have urgent national matters to address. Let me also apologize to all those who feel offended when I reiterate that we have no ideology. The same applies to all our political parties but this is no excuse. PDP needs to lead the way and only by communication can we begin to tell Nigerians where we stand on the critical issues like Health, Education, Security and the Economy. We do not need to wait for Government to direct us. We the party can direct Government.
Finally I am convinced that my media Chief, Chief Eze C Eze is capable of handling this handover in my absence but do not mistake him for me. Apart from the difference in height and his stomach weight (which is equivalent to one Ghana must go bag), he also protects my pocket fiercely. In the event that the party needs me in any way shape or form do feel free to call on me to play my part to the fullest. We are the only truly national party with the unity of Nigeria at heart. If we loose so does Nigeria. Thank you and God bless Nigeria, God bless PDP and God bless our Media.
Signed,
Prince Tonye Princewilll.
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Wednesday, May 2, 2012
North Park University Student, Art Professor Selected for 2012 Fulbright Awards
Prof. Nnenna Okore
North Park University Student, Art Professor Selected for 2012 Fulbright Awards
CHICAGO, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Fulbright Program awarded overseas teaching opportunities for the next academic year to two women from North Park University, Chicago. Senior Karen Kelly was awarded an English Teaching Assistantship to teach in a secondary school in Andorra, a small European country between France and Spain. Nnenna Okore, associate professor and art department chair, was named a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, and will teach and work closely on environmental art projects with artists, galleries and art organizations in her home country of Nigeria.
Karen Kelly
Kelly will graduate this month from the University with a double major in global studies and French. She is fluent in English, French and Spanish, and has taken Arabic courses at the University. The mix of languages and cultures in Andorra piqued Kelly's interest. "That's what stood out to me because on the description for candidates, it said they will give preference to candidates who speak Spanish or French," Kelly said.
The daughter of Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) missionaries, Kelly was born and raised in Mexico City, and is a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States.
Okore plans to teach artists how to use discarded materials to create works of art, and raise attention for environmental restoration in Nigeria. Okore is a sculptor, whose niche is in environmental art. She uses materials such as newspapers, wax, cloth, rope, clay and sticks in her art.
Many Nigerian artists have tried including recycled materials in their work. But generally, the culture does not accept such works as genuine art because recycled materials are used, Okore explained. "Part of my aim is to begin to bring some authenticity to the use of our environment, and the use of things that are byproducts of that environment. We should be thinking of ways to recycle things back into our art and into our daily lives," she said.
Okore will open a studio in Lagos and collaborate with local students and artists. She will also design and teach a course in environmental art at the University of Lagos.
The Fulbright Program is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, research, and teaching worldwide.
The complete text of this story is at http://www.northpark.edu/News/Current-News/North-Park-University-Student-Art-Professor-Selected-for-2012-Fulbright-Awards on the North Park University website.
SOURCE North Park University
CONTACT: John Brooks, North Park University, +1-773-244-5522 or jbrooks@northpark.edu
Web Site: www.northpark.edu
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Black Hole Caught Red-handed In A Stellar Homicide
ABOUT THIS IMAGE:
This computer-simulated image shows gas from a tidally shredded star falling into a black hole. Some of the gas also is being ejected at high speeds into space. Astronomers observed a flare in ultraviolet and optical light from the gas falling into the black hole and glowing helium from the stars's helium-rich gas expelled from the system.
To see the computer simulation movie, visit: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/18/video/
Image Type: Scientific Visualization
Credit: NASA, S. Gezari (The Johns Hopkins University), and J. Guillochon (University of California, Santa Cruz)
2 May 2012 18:14 Africa/Lagos
Black Hole Caught Red-handed In A Stellar Homicide
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Astronomers have gathered the most direct evidence yet of a supermassive black hole shredding a star that wandered too close. NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer, a space-based observatory, and the Pan-STARRS1 telescope on the summit of Haleakala in Hawaii, were among the first to help identify the stellar remains.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)
Supermassive black holes, weighing millions to billions times more than the sun, lurk in the centers of most galaxies. These hefty monsters lay quietly until an unsuspecting victim, such as a star, wanders close enough to get ripped apart by their powerful gravitational clutches.
Astronomers have spotted these stellar homicides before, but this is the first time they identified the victim. Using several ground- and space-based telescopes, a team of astronomers led by Suvi Gezari of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore identified the victim as a star rich in helium gas. The star resides in a galaxy 2.7 billion light-years away. The team's results will appear in today's online edition of the journal Nature.
"When the star is ripped apart by the gravitational forces of the black hole, some part of the star's remains falls into the black hole while the rest is ejected at high speeds," Gezari said. "We are seeing the glow from the stellar gas falling into the black hole over time. We're also witnessing the spectral signature of the ejected gas, which we find to be mostly helium. It is like we are gathering evidence from a crime scene. Because there is very little hydrogen and mostly helium in the gas, we detect from the carnage that the slaughtered star had to have been the helium-rich core of a stripped star."
This observation yields insights about the harsh environment around black holes and the types of stars swirling around them. It is not the first time the unlucky star had a brush with the behemoth black hole.
The team believes the star's hydrogen-filled envelope surrounding the core was lifted off a long time ago by the same black hole. The star may have been near the end of its life. After consuming most of its hydrogen fuel, it had probably ballooned in size, becoming a red giant. Astronomers think the bloated star was looping around the black hole in a highly elliptical orbit, similar to a comet's elongated orbit around the sun. On one of its close approaches, the star was stripped of its puffed-up atmosphere by the black hole's powerful gravity. The stellar remains continued its journey around the center, until it ventured even closer to the black hole to face its ultimate demise.
Astronomers predict stripped stars circle the central black hole of our Milky Way galaxy. These close encounters are rare, occurring roughly every 100,000 years. To find this event, Gezari's team monitored hundreds of thousands of galaxies in ultraviolet light with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, and in visible light with Pan-STARRS1. Pan-STARRS, short for Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, scans the entire night sky for all kinds of transient phenomena, including supernovae.
The team was looking for a bright flare in ultraviolet light from the nucleus of a galaxy with a previously dormant black hole. Both telescopes spotted one in June 2010. Astronomers continued to monitor the flare as it reached peak brightness a month later and slowly faded during the next 12 months. The brightening event was similar to the explosive energy unleashed by a supernova, but the rise to the peak was much slower, taking nearly one and a half months.
"The longer the event lasted, the more excited we got, because we realized this is either a very unusual supernova or an entirely different type of event, such as a star being ripped apart by a black hole," said team member Armin Rest of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
By measuring the increase in brightness, the astronomers calculated the black hole's mass to be several million suns, which is comparable to the size of our Milky Way's black hole.
Spectroscopic observations with the Multiple Meter Telescope Observatory located on Mount Hopkins in Arizona showed the black hole was swallowing lots of helium. Spectroscopy divides light into its rainbow colors, which yields an object's characteristics, such as its temperature and gaseous makeup.
To completely rule out the possibility of an active nucleus flaring up in the galaxy, the team used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to study the hot gas. Chandra showed that the characteristics of the gas didn't match those from an active galactic nucleus.
For images, video and more information about this study, visit:
http://hubblesite.org/news/2012/18
For graphics and information about the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/galex
http://www.galex.caltech.edu
SOURCE NASA
CONTACT: J.D. Harrington, Headquarters, Washington, +1-202-358-0321, j.d.harrington@nasa.gov
Web Site: http://www.nasa.gov
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Americans Want Sleep More Than Sex
Americans Crave Sleep More Than Sex, Says Better Sleep Council Survey
ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A national survey by the Better Sleep Council (BSC) found that 61 percent of Americans and a whopping 79 percent of women would rather get a good night's sleep than have sex. The survey also found that nearly half of Americans fall asleep somewhere other than their bed at least once a week, and about 11 percent fall asleep somewhere other than their bed every day.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120501/CL98559)
So where are people nodding off? Turns out, some very peculiar and dangerous places.
"We were stunned by some of the survey responses," said Karin Mahoney, director of communications for the BSC. "One man fell asleep on a rooftop. Another man fell asleep while interviewing a job candidate. There was a teacher who fell asleep at the podium in front of her class. Clearly, people are sleeping just about everywhere except where they should be – in their own beds. And they're likely not realizing the critical role the right mattress plays in achieving the quality of life that only good, healthful sleep can bring."
But there's hope. Seventy-seven percent of people surveyed say they'd give up something to get a better night's sleep. Tops on the list were watching TV (31 percent), time spent on computers and social media (23 percent), exercise and going to church (both 16 percent).
"The health problems associated with not getting enough sleep are well documented," said Mahoney. "People who don't get enough sleep can suffer from poor performance at work or school to depression, diabetes, heart disease and other ailments."
To promote a healthier lifestyle, the BSC – in conjunction with its annual "May Is Better Sleep Month" promotion – has launched Stop Sleeping Around, a campaign that encourages people to spend more time on their mattresses, so they don't fall asleep in dangerous or embarrassing places. The campaign also serves to emphasize the importance of mattress quality and selection when looking to improve sleep and, in turn, overall health and well being.
The campaign kicks off on May 1st, with National Eight Hours in Bed Night, when the BSC is encouraging people to get a full night's rest in their own. The BSC has set up a Facebook site and Twitter handle (@StopSleepinArnd, #stopsleepingaround) where people can go to share stories and videos of their most embarrassing moments "sleeping around," as well as thoughts on how much better they feel when achieving a full night of healthful sleep.
"Our campaign is edged in humor, but our message is serious. People who consistently cheat themselves of a good night's rest are risking their health," said Mahoney. "By encouraging people to take a critical look at their sleep habits and their sleep environment, we're hoping to play a role in improving their overall health and wellness."
To learn more about the BSC's campaign and to get more tips on how to achieve a full night of high-quality rest in a healthy sleep environment, visit BetterSleep.org and facebook.com/stopsleepingaround.
About the BSC
The Better Sleep Council is the consumer education arm of the International Sleep Products Association, the trade association for the mattress industry. With a quarter of a century invested in improving America's quality of sleep, the BSC educates consumers on the critical link between sleep and health, as well as the role of the sleep environment, primarily through an informative consumer website www.bettersleep.org, partner support and proactive consumer media outreach.
SOURCE Better Sleep Council
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Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Nollywood Divas Awards Magazine Is Out And It Is Free
The maiden edition of the annual NOLLYWOOD DIVAS AWARDS MAGAZINE ® is out and it is available gratis in Lagos, Nigeria. It is not for sale. For those who cannot get the free copies in Lagos, you can download it gratis online.
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Systemic Corruption, Criminal James Ibori and Nigeria’s Justice System
James Ibori
Systemic Corruption, Criminal James Ibori and Nigeria’s Justice System
~ By Nwaorgu Faustinus
That corruption has become endemic, hydra-headed and even emasculated the political, religious, social and economic landscape of the sub-Saharan clime (Nigeria not exception) and has eaten so deep into its sustaining bone marrow cannot be overstressed. This is expressed in the many corruption cases being investigated by the EFCC and ICPC on high ranking government officials – former governors, cronies of the party in power, politicians, representatives of corporate organization etc. which the Fourth Estate of the Realm has described as mere public infotainment in the past and even now.
The Nigerian impoverished masses are not only aware of the alleged half-baked prepare readiness of anti-corruption agency to fight corruption head-on but are also keen watchers, observers and readers of how a few individual who have found themselves in position of trust use such posts to corruptly line their ever-swallowing, greedy and immoral vaults to the detriment of the Nigerian people who have continued to wallow in abject poverty and underdevelopment. The question is: how many cases of money laundering, official corruption, embezzlement and misappropriation of public fund and so on involving highly placed persons, especially the political class, has the EFCC or ICPC won. The Nigerian people for me have had enough of this entertainment probes carried out by EFCC.
In the past, list of governors who were alleged to be corrupt have been made public but the question is: have these governors been found guilty for pilfering public fund entrusted to them? Your answer to this question is as good as mine. What is it that constitutes a cog in the wheel of fighting corruption mainly associated with politicians whom the Nigerian electorates elected into positions of trust with a view that those elected could bring development, employment, change and invariably put smile on the faces of Nigerians? Is it that the EFCC or ICPC does not have water-tight evidence to send these perpetual, habitual and unremorseful kleptomaniacs to jail? Is the fault located in the past Attorney General of the Federation (Mike Aondoakaa) who pressurize court to respect “restraining injunction” filed by politicians that the EFCC wants to prosecute or is it in the nation’s justice system which many believed to have been morally debased and perverted by those running from the long arm of law?
Writing on how the federal high court in Asaba, the Delta State Capital in 2009 struck out FRN vs. Ibori’s case which was on corruption charges against the later, sahararporters.com, an online media site gave its caption thus: “Federal Kangaroo High Court of Asaba discharges and acquits James Ibori”
The online media site wrote: “the federal high court judge in Asaba today (Thursday, 17 December 2009 my words) discharged and acquitted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, of all the 170-count charge of corruption proffered against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Saharareporters had reported that Justice Marcel Awokulehin, personally approved for appointment to lead the newly created federal high court in Asaba by Ibori had struck a deal with the ex-governor and two-time ex-convict to quash the charges for a princely sum of $5 million.
Signs that the judge was going to deliver his highly compromised judgement showed early when heavy security was noticed at the venue, our source said the director general of the state security services, personally coordinated security from Abuja.
At today bizarre ruling, the judge arrived at 8:41 AM, but Ibori until 8:58 AM. Our reporter described Ibori’s arrival to the venue with the air of “absolute confidence” in uncommon swagger.
It was therefore a soothing balm for many Nigerians when Mr Ibori was convicted by the Southwark Crown Court in south London which sentenced him for 13 years in prison. The sentence of Ibori in faraway London on corruption charges therefore puts a very big question mark on the incorruptibility of Nigeria’s crop of legal personnel and its Justice system. If Mr James Ibori could be left off the hook by the justice system in Nigeria and afterwards convicted by a London court says much about the debauch nature of Nigeria’s justice system.
The Nigerian justice system as matter of fact has loss is integrity and something urgent must be done to redeem its currently battered image if the acquittal of James Ibori by a federal high court in Asaba and his current conviction is anything to go by. The appropriate body of the Nigerian legal system charged with disciplining its erring members should ensure that its members found to be corrupt in the pursuance of their enterprise are punished adequately to serve as a deterrent to others. The issue of granting court orders restraining EFCC or ICPC from investigating alleged corrupt politicians and others should be stopped forthwith.
The Nigerian judicial system and its operators as the last hope of Nigerians should be above board, incorruptible and eschew greed and corruption in the discharge of its responsibility if it wants to enjoy the commendation of the public. God help Nigeria.
~ Nwaorgu, Faustinus writes from Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Mobile: +2348035601312. Email: fausteness@yahoo.com.
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Azazi, Were You Using Emotions to Provoke President Jonathan’s Resignation?
General Owoye Andrew Azazi CFR FSS MSS DSS GSS psc((retired) is the National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Nigeria. The Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo made this appointment.
Azazi, Were You Using Emotions to Provoke President Jonathan’s Resignation?
~ John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D.
The first principled truth is that at this time in Nigeria life is frustrating and painful considering the current level of insecurity in the nation.
There is one Nigerian, apart from the nation’s President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who really knows the depth and density of insecurity in the country, he is the President’s current national security adviser and his name is Owoye Andrew Azazi, a retired general and a former chief of defense staff.
President Goodluck Jonathan
In truth and in pain, and from the point of speculative or theoretic psychology, Azazi was waiting for that very Friday and that week end to reveal his repressed anger, feelings of shame and guilt about a dwindling nation, and find a way to turn all of his frustrations not against himself, at least not this time but towards the nation as a whole especially those in political leadership, the President apparently.
Azazi’s deep-seated rage it appears was more of a moral issue, as he could no longer guarantee an improvement on security issues, and in his capacity as the security ear of the President and as a well-tested soldier any restrictions placed on the secrecy and security aspect of his job was in disappearance, as disclosing his inner emotional pains was all that matters to him.
Even if his full-blown anger stood out as endangering national security it matters not on that faithful day as the top political parties have already done the damage with total impunity and indifference.
Azazi knew fully well that his burning frustration since finding himself in the midst of do or die politicians would draw attention away from the pretense, silliness and denial which appear to be continuously shaping the nation’s polity.
He knew that to bring to discourse honest dialogue about our present times and how we got to this level of national confusion and undemocratic ways of existence it was worth the effort and time to open his mouth.
Azazi’s show of public resentment which he displayed to the who-is-who in political leadership came out as a form of political anger even though he is not a politician, and he made sure to blame his listening political audience as responsible for the sweeping societal insecurity. Which to him is a factor of their self-made rules like the system of zoning which he sees as antithetical to the Nigerian constitution.
Azazi as a man of humanity and art by virtue of his education and as a man styled with an apparent personality of systematically reaching and executing decisions, some persons in our society have taking his meticulous appearance and painstaking conduct to be that of indifference. Now they see how wrong they are.
That very Friday, during the second version of the South-South economic summit in Asaba, he knew that one side of the Nigerian political divide known as People's Democratic Party (PDP) would be fully represented and as a calculating soldier with well-planned and prepared notes, may be for days or weeks or even months, vented out his inner frustrations line by line, irrespective of whether the PDP power-that-be identified with his emotions—unconsciously or consciously. He may have even wished the President to be there to see a fellow kinsman telling it all!
In fact Azazi, would have done the same exact thing in the north-east of the country full of core members of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) but with a different type of notes and preparedness.
Azazi by his nature and training in national and international principles of peacefulness, he sees the need for all humans irrespective of one’s place in the society, to follow the legal document called the Constitution.
As a long standing military student of national intelligence, national development, citizen involvement, strategic intensions, tactical coordination and international leadership he seems to approach governance and leadership through the apparatus of the Constitution imperfect as it may be.
For Azazi, anything short of true practice of the constitution or the rule of law could represent various lines and cycles of disorderliness, rebellion, double-dealing, intemperance, inequity, politicking, disunity and discomfort.
Azazi appears to be telling the political class across the nation unless they stop making their personalized rules or doctrines and take the pain to show greater respect for the rule of law in matters of elections, power sharing, and economy, the rising insecurity and civilian extremism may not submerge fully even with the best security infrastructures.
Azazi, by removing the wall of anger between him and his master—the PDP , he had in fact placed the political leaders in a sudden position from where they can see in full view the anger, worry, resentment, frustration, disappointment and other negative emotional states being felt in the north and in the south of the nation.
Azazi is making it clear to the political leadership that to continue to justify the principle of unconstitutional practice, leaves room for more undemocratic responses to their existence and that could include acts of insurgency and chaos in the society.
In using some of his embedded emotions and pains to repudiate the political leaders, beginning with the southern ones, he appears to be disclosing to the country very serious and powerful consequences in the upcoming rounds of political fight for the presidency and other similar positions.
Azazi as a man who is skilled in peaceful resolutions, national integration, meritorious leadership, and American diplomacy any attempt to ignore his true revelations, and even punish him will be a cause for him to further validate his deep feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration and in the process free himself from an interfering undemocratic politics which he sees as currently at play in lives of the people.
Consequently, whatever follows this undemocratic divide in leadership with its symptoms of burning distrust and greater danger occurring, Azazi who is currently in the midst of all this divide, appears to be creating healthy ways for his own personal freedom.
Azazi, as he fights inwardly and to some extent outwardly, in an attempt to rescue the nation and even if he is made to apologize for his honored words but under the cover of slip of tongue where the underlying truth really lies, he appears to have another painful concern for his kinsman , Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who at this time and in the wake of all these happenings is heading a polarized society, and caught between the southern and northern political divide, as such may not be able to escape soon from the partisan burden of a worried nation like Nigeria.
Emotionally, he appears to be telling the President here is a quit notice, my anger is a call your resignation from the presidential leadership at this time!
If Azazi’s emotional exposé was to provoke more national crisis as in Jonathan’s resignation, sorry the President is still standing and the President should not resign.
The President must be wandering how could someone he trust dearly pour out his broken heart publicly, and resolve to pour out his wrath on him and the political leadership, a question that Azazi could fully answer personally in response to a psychological therapy session, that is if he deems it as helpful.
Nevertheless, Azazi in his spirit and mind appears to see the path of progress and unity through the eyes of the constitution but whether this fantasy will turn to a reality is what is probably burning within Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi at this unpredictable time. On that unique day in Asaba, he must have hollered free at last, free at last!
~ John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D., is an Abuja-based Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association (NPA), Abuja. Jos5930458@aol.com. Tel: 08126909839.
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