Militarisation of Highways in Nigeria – Democracy Dividend?

Introduction

You need to travel around the country on intra-state or inter-state business to realise that contradictory and complex political contexts exists. Interaction is one measures of advancement and progress within a territory and physical interaction via arterial routes and especially highways is an important variable. Since no society is self-dependent, independent or isolated, unimpeded interaction allows for trade, supply of shortages and meeting demand obligations. Nigeria, her communities and multi-nations have engaged in these interactions for thousands of years before New Economic Geography arrived behind Washington Consensus. The question now is why are these lifelines dominated and choked each day by members of Nigerian Armed Forces?

Stillborn Democracy

One of the worst expressions which rightly mirror ontological stupidity is the media adoption of ‘nascent democracy’ as code to narrowly legitimise appropriation of history. Sadly revisionists continue to signpost Nigeria and her peoples with a 1914 start up. No, the glorious peoples of various nations under Nigeria’s current leaking umbrella have variable histories of democratic experiences over 1000s of years. The idea of regarding democracy in the territory as ‘nascent’ indicates serious historical neglect and abandonment.

Nevertheless, there is unquestioned acknowledgement that the experiments in Nigeria since 1960 are incomplete rather than ‘nascent’. The gaps, holes and ignorance of current implementations in democratic dividends are glaring. One may go as far as regarding the experiences as nuclei of confusion, malfeasance and degradation. At every level of governance the principal stakeholder, the peoples, have continued to be deprived and be marginalised including restricted of their rights of unimpeded travel. Free movement is a right and the current experiment has failed as most highways are imposed with illegal roadblocks manned by uniformed armed members of the armed forces on average of every 4 kilometres. They are unaccountable, extra-judicial and beyond the state though allegedly abuse the same state and her peoples.

The question one now wonders is what is the role of chief state security officer of states? The Executive Governor of each state is constitutionally responsible for protecting his/her citizens and encourage their collective growth including unimpeded movement. If the administrations are civilo-democratic, what are members of Nigerian armed forces doing on their roads in defiance? This is not Afghanistan, France or Germany. This role has failed in every state rather Governors benefit from their status with associate security details and siren to avoid daily humiliation, bully, insults and abuse on the roads. Such serious abdication of responsibility reveals the cancer of current political experience, which is the lack of legitimacy from the people. The people are unprotected, exposed and abandoned.

True Ugly Picture

What does these marauding bands of uniformed armed men do at illegal roadblocks? To all intents and purposes, there is nothing productive from their presence rather on the contrary commuters and drivers live in perpetual fear. In the absence of internal conflict and security deterioration, these armed uniformed men are imposed on each route spread out at almost every 4km to harass, extort, bully, humiliate and abuse innocent Nigerians. Most of the uniformed men are armed with AK – 47 Kalashnikov assault rifle pointed towards each vehicle, towards unarmed civilians and towards fearful citizens. 

Unarmed citizen cannot negotiate with these uniformed armed men who are law unto themselves and who sustain negative view of armed forces ethos, traditions and objectives. Sadly they are also citizens of Nigeria but one must admit their understanding of citizenship is maligned, distorted and disabled. So in summary, the illegal roadblocks are illegal money collecting shops.  Sadly some innocent men, women and children have been killed unlawfully without justice at these odious roadblocks. Quite a dividend of democracy!

Institutional Abuse

While I refrain from US-que glorification of armed forces, I must admit to the fact that the Nigeria I’m aware of has never had the military far away from public life and public space. In any case I do not subscribe to the imposed duality of choice of who runs the state or directs governance.  Nigerian military remains a subject that needs to be studied carefully rather than celebrated without reason or disrespected without calculation. 

However as an institution it is a victim of the project Nigeria from its emergence as a remnant of colonial baggage and post-colonial political reconfigurations.  While its congenital disability is part of a wider problem, the sustained absence of credible & people-friendly image has continued to diminish her ability to meld seamlessly into the society as a force of positive change.

Nevertheless as a former British colony and current client of Washington DC, it stands to reason that Nigerian military remain unreconstructed consumer of strategic geopolitical outputs of the former powers. The absence of internal national identity or distinct coherent cultural template has forced this institution to maintain anti-people image rather than a hope for positive change. In a sense it became a part of consolidation of post-colonial power elite in the newly ‘independent’ countries a la Nigeria. Therefore the Nigerian armed forces is in a cultural, temporal, political and strategic trap struggling to clarify her battered image and identity. Rather it seems to easily go with the flow of meeting wider needs of the power elite. To be part of the wider power elite mean becoming their tool to some extent which involves compromising its military processes and internal coherence greatly to the detriment of her existence as a highly regarded institution in internal affairs.

A summary of the contradiction of Nigerian Armed Forces or military is the imposition of strategic existential threat on the country by the erstwhile head of state on the post-Nigeria-Biafra war hubris that the main problem of the country is how to spend her bulging oil wealth. In the absence of a strategic plan of wealth spending, the country since has descended into a frenzy of cursed irresponsible spending of her natural resources sales. This consolidated military contribution to Nigeria problem or Nigeria question which is now inter-generational. What happens at the illegal roadblocks is rather trickle-down effect of a compromised military rather than mere abuse of military tradition and abuse of law.

In the final analysis, Nigeria military have become an object of fear for ordinary Nigerians especially on the highways, compatriots to be avoided at all cost as some communities will testify; an institution still trapped with colonial mentality and uncertainty in a country confused of her role in a geopolitically reconfiguring world.

Conclusion

One would hope for immediate positive change where the military is withdrawn from Nigerian highways or reverse their daily observation as enemy of progress via extortion, bullying, humiliation and abuse and even extra-judicial killing. Nevertheless it is not easy to shush the military back into the barrack and claim democracy incorporated.  What is currently obtained is a cocktail of political confusion in a vortex that has sucked the military among other things into it. The democratic process or experience to ensure taking responsibilities, that enhances institutional respectability and uplift the common man will and should be unique, negotiated by all (including the military) and committed and uncompromised.  

If recovery of Nigeria’s dignity means that credible military take the helm of affairs, such outcome shouldn’t be surprising, illegal or unwarranted.  Nevertheless our highways and roads should be part of wider geography of free expression, free movement and laboratories for experiencing positive democratic dividends which is currently absent.

Where Does MV Imo State Go From Here?

Introduction

It is interesting to raise an important question on the state of the State. The question is rather an admission of a disconnect between the rhetoric and substance of the current administration in Owerri. There is also a subtext in a grand narrative of Igbo nationalism which situates its raison d’etre on marginalisation by the Federal government of Nigeria. While there may be legitimacy on the grand narrative, evidence on the ground indicates rather bankruptcy of leadership of the current administration which is masked with great degree of competence.

Post-Ikiri Regime

One of the significant developments in Imo State politics post-Mbakwe is the difficulty of having an administration in Owerri that makes the effort to perceive the whole of the State as her constituency.  It is no gimmick to conclude that even from the grave, Chief Sam Mbakwe PhD, remains the man to beat in leadership of Imo State. Fast forward to the current administration of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, a few issues refused to be addressed in the euphoria that brought him to the fore of leadership.

By now it is no longer denied that his honeymoon is over. Nevertheless it is crucial to reverse back to how he emerged to occupy Owerri.  In the climate of abysmal performance, alleged malfeasance and incompetence of Mr Ikedi Ohakim; the zeal for his replacement by the population by anyone from another party foreclosed any attempt to critically review potential options.  Owelle Rochas Okoracha has no pedigree in democratic tradition and public administration however he had the convergence of time, connection and place to elevate him to realise his ‘aspiration’. Of course he was duly (s)elected with all the pregnant expectations in the world and he didn’t fail the rhetoric test with hyperbolic Restoration Agenda.  

One must situate his emergence in the socio-economic context to begin to delineate some realities. He may have started as a common man but prior to vying for the top seat; his association with common man/woman has turned into using them as tools. He is one of the power elites via powerful connections.  Secondly, while Imo State population ran wild in expectation, masked underneath is raw ambition for greater things of which the same population are excluded.

Power Corrupts

A few years into office one beginnings to wonder what it takes to transforms a State that receives its full share of the Federal allocation. For one who claims to know and understand intergenerational pain of Ndi Imo, there is no evidence of policy implementation that indicates a strategic vision, production-oriented strategies and capacity development even with infrastructural investment.  What we are unpleasantly confronted with is consistent expansion of consumption economy, poorly implemented infrastructural contracts and potential for extending abandoned project syndrome. No credible production firm have been completed and signed off. While the noise of foreign investment is litany, even efforts of well-meaning domestic capability are not encouraged. 

For all the foreign travels, there is little to show for it. What do you expect from a visit to Kovoso, the basket case of Europe? Why would an Imo State governor visit a beggar for investment in the guise of Kosovo, whose top officials including Prime Minister, have been accused  of among others of drug running, human organ trafficking and all sort?

While Nnewi is less than 150km from Owerri as a template for serious minded development, I doubt if her significance mean much to the new power elites in Owerri. Rather air miles are accumulated probably for miscellaneous accumulation. In summary Restoration Agenda has failed to fly and may not fly after all.

Project Igbo President

Fast forward to the last few months, you wonder why Imo State with so much potential only remains a potential. The governor (s)elected on sympathy has abandoned the sympathy to project his grand geopolitical aspiration for Nigeria. Whether real or imagined, he has joined the ongoing reconfiguration of national political platforms for 2015 before he completed a term in office.  I would have expected someone in that capacity to maintain a positive relationship with Abuja in other to attract various resources and investment to the State as a measure of leadership dividend to consolidate his capacity to run for second term. There are a number of federal projects in the state including dualisation of Owerri-Aba road which can be switched off by the Fed but saved if GEJ calculating for second term under PDP banner.  A political leader takes his/her chance but patience and hard calculation marks out the boys from the men.

Now I am very much aware that the fig leaf of such ill-fated aspiration will be the old mantra of Igbo marginalisation in the leaking umbrella called Nigeria.  Who will buy such expired product? The truth is that Ndigbo are holding themselves down. If Igbo leadership at State and Local levels fail miserably to invest strategically with their share of the national cake, forget about blaming others/outsiders.  This farce peddled by among others the top-echelon of non-elected branch of power elites called Ohaneze has failed badly to whip up expected concern.  Therefore it is very sad that Owelle Rochas Okorocha has joined the long list of failing leaders in Igboland who refuse to credibility lift their people up when they had the chance. In any case his Restoration Agenda is a personal project masked with public/collective legitimacy.

Conclusion

In final analysis it goes back to the primary problem of Igbo (political) leaders at various level within and beyond Igboland; identity crisis. The consistency at proclaiming confusion as identity is now pushing into an intergenerational patrimony with little or no positive dividend. The elevated understanding of everyone/neighbours but oneself is gradually becoming pathological because while self-preservation motivates both personal and collective aspiration, the absence of nuanced objective and clear ontology is a problematic.  In this crisis, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has a gilded seat. This is the burden of the Igbo nation. 

Artificial Money scarcity and Lopsided CBN Monetary Policy

Introduction

While Nigeria has gone into overdrive since last week on the prons & cons of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor suspension, a far more serious issue has been raging for months under the radar. This issue continues to unfold daily with serious consequences for the common man, ordinary families and most Nigerians who depend on collective internal markets.  For all the wisdom of Washington Consensus Finance Minister and an erstwhile ‘world renowned’ central banker, Nigerians have been imposed with deliberate shortage of Naira notes denomination below 500 Naira.  The purpose of the piece is to zoom in on the issue as it affects the common man. I unashamedly call it bias 2.0.

Money Supply Stupid

Economies grow, fall and or stagnate. Examples litter everywhere. For pundits and observers especially those resident abroad and diaspora there is a religious dependence on every text in print or word on the air regarding Nigeria. Many accept GDP and economic growth figures as gospel without bordering to break it down or even imagine that those aggregate numbers misrepresent questionable quality of life, decreased life chances, access to health services, greater opportunities and etc. They stupidly settle for assumed global ranking with no critical assessment even the malicious imposed metageographical machination which will always be beyond their correction.

Nevertheless recent money supply policy managed by both Dr Okonjo-Iweala and Mallam Sanusi has seen greater proportion of less than N500 denominations vanish from circulation.  Your first confrontation of this ugly menace emerges when you attempt to pay transportation fare or telephone charge card with N500 or N1000 and ask for change. If you are unlucky not to be reminded early of lack of change, then you’ll be lucky only to escape with verbal assault. Curiously small businesses which dominate Nigerian economic landscape are hurting for this strategic error. With limited supply and circulation of these lower-tier denominations the economy is bound to react more than any riff-raff ignorantly rant about phantom confidence drop in view of CBN governor suspension. Small talk for big fellas while common people suffer! This is the case wherever you are in Nigeria. This development is not apparent in Nigeria media; only ‘political’ party intrigues carry the headlines.

How can an economy be healthy where crucial proportions of the medium of exchange are deliberately vanished? Where does change come from for N500 deposited for N50 groundnut? Why should a village shopkeeper be bombarded with N1000s with no room for providing change to customers? The sad outcome is the blinding narrative missed by common folks, that they should be in it together.  They are on the same side as natural allies rather hardship and poverty force individuals to freeze mentally limiting their abilities to rationalise to confront the common enemy; the Abuja based power elites. The common people’s economy continues to hurt as payments and transactions remain incomplete and accumulate.

Argument More Stupid

Much as I tried to find the reason for this ill-fated outcome, the difficulty in accessing policy documents only provided room for conjecture and subterfuge by the economic elite. The laughable reason I picked up from the dustbin of time is attributed to CBN move towards creating a cashless economy. This is laughable for a number of obvious reasons. For starters while Nigeria remains promising, infrastructural development and completed investment is abysmal.  Cashless economy suggests advancement and high penetration in information and communication technologies (ICT) development.  With a penetration level of less than 50% and internet connection hovering at far lower access base with medieval bandwidth, then you wonder who developed the policy and of course was handsomely ‘settled’ for it.  It is a known fact that many banks and finance companies do not meet daily customer expectation due to massive down time resulting from poor internet network and low bandwidth.  Do you need a central banker to realise the folly?

To stimulate an economy at least there must be an awareness of real problems and identify stable reusable assets. The best ways to improve the economy is not by punishing the plebes or common people. Sadly this is the tragic lesson peddled by Washington DC and lately Brussels Consensus. Nigerians of every stripe have suffered long enough regardless of their ethnic nationality. Nigerian economy doesn’t need inflation via adoption of higher denominations rather stabilisation of lower denominations while attempting to deviate from Washington DC Consensus.  It is clear now that communists are making better capitalists a la Beijing.

I must say that while the masses groan under the weight of Federal imposition, as the common people of Nigeria gnash their shivering teeth under the rounds of elite abuse; the sad truth remains that for the said ill-fated policy, billions if not trillions of Naira have been wasted in what seem like congenital malfeasance by the same power elites.

Weak United Kingdom confronting Nature’s Terrorist

Introduction

UK Plc or Brand UK seems to have lost its marbles in the last weeks since December 2013. In the face of predictable natural insurgence, the governing power elite rose to occasions of indignity, carelessness and displacement. As the heavens kept yawning for its eternal drop of water to drip down, populations in specific parts of the country got multiple whammies of flood, saturation and abandonment. The question now is, where is the government if one actually exists?

Curious Interest

I must admit that the subject is not business as usual despite its allure and attraction. Nevertheless as what amounts to yesterday’s great power is riddled with problem of stupidity incorporated, one is prone to take a detour in reaction. It is poignant to bear in mind that the disequilibrium coalition government have made her mark in sustaining a ‘permanent revolution in one country’ through austerity even as classical economics said her final prayers. What else can current government do?

Since December 2013, rain has continued to pound the country; hotspots in specific places without respite. It is not a surprise as (good) experts predicted increased rainfall and increased potential for inundation in low lying areas of the country.  This knowledge or information has been in the public domain for at least a decade. Sadly the elites who run the Plc hailed fish-and-chips while the plebes were having saturation and thunderbolt.

With a chancellor/finance minister more in touch with oncological surgery than effective resource management, in the name of debt reduction the country has been once again exposed. With reckless cutting of resources, peoples who are the biggest resources of a country have been relegated. Why? They are dispensable, they lack power, they can be cheaply seduced and they have short-term memory. This is the reason South West England is now a huge swimming pool with no help in sight from the government.

Various governments in the last few years reduced citizens to the level of importance deserving of emergency action only when terror strikes. In essence terrorist (whatever it means) has higher priority. As a result internal security and military budgets ballooned to astronomically proportions. Trident strategic weapon system rented from US cost billions of pounds per annum and will not be used either as a deterrent or in active service. I am told by a talking head that it is not a waste.

Rain Strikes

 With television showing internally displaced peoples of UK, displaced by war caused by nature with a government so weak to even prepare, support or act decisively in response; more so in the ruling party’s heartland one wonders what is happening? It is simple. The power elite have only allegiance to their core accumulation interest regardless of political party. They are careless, reckless and flawed. Despite the supporting spin by licenced media, they all hate and detest citizens. If massive emergency cannot force a government to reconcile towards special support measure for flood victims, then one should be clear what is in store for the country till 2015.

Sadly flood victims, internally displaced citizens, induced homeless British and Conservative party underlings in flooded areas have become silhouettes for media haemorrhaging politicians.  With one foot in water and few shallow sundry blame words for the camera, victims dissolved in the ether of oblivion. One day the army is in but unaware of their role, the next day a blabby minister mouths ‘unreserved apology’. When the future king talks plain, his words are attacked instead of action.

Open Eyes

While the role of government is clear and power elites have no room for shame what is the fate of citizen? For the most part it will be business as usual. Abused, seduced and blind-sided again and again! They believe in democracy that works against them; they believe in party politics that is more of specialised branch of privileged old boy network.  Citizens believe everything except power in themselves. They are scattered around the plain in the name of individualistic preponderance to decide one’s future hence virulent dismantling of the commons or collective. They refuse to organise, they refuse to mobilise, they refuse to strategise. They also expect positive change. From who?  They forget that no one shares or gives up power without serious challenge. They don’t even speak the language of the power elite, their oppressors.

The most important lesson of South West England flood is thus; the treatment of flood victims and internally displaced citizens of the area is a pilot for national implementation because to all intents and purposes it is a grand success.

Nigeria Governance and Language of Public Communication

Introduction

Recent developments in geopolitics and foreign policy have refocused minds on the significant role language plays in influencing and modifying expectations. Even the most powerful players in the scene are very mindful of their audiences and duly address them in languages they understand. For example the opening session of the ongoing Geneva II conference exemplified the fact despite that geopolitical giants, it is an Arab affair. So much for English as the global language! My grudge is the difficulty in understanding and dealing with lack of linguistic nationalism in those who represent constituencies in and of Nigeria.

Who Speaks?

I used to take it for granted that English language is the medium of public communication despite experiencing and participating in my local parliamentary deliberations in the good old days. In those parliaments usually lead by the senators, all legal, economic, social and even spiritual matters are dealt with thoroughly in Igbo. For the most part majority population most times, nearly 100% of residents of the parliamentary jurisdiction are fluent in Igbo. I am certain this is or was the case in other Nigerian nations. Nevertheless within the same space, one was/is confronted with state/federal government communications undilutedly transmitted in English. The 1970s/1980s is poignant as majority seek for interpretation of messages behind martial music; coup d’état. Apparently this is increasingly the case at the state levels where majority population exists whose language is also vehicle of public communication. Somehow the recent gate crashers of governance & representation have turned into unwarranted zombie-apostles of English Language. I hear some weak mind arguing its incentive for cohesion or questioning its strategic usefulness!

I hear you!

While political independence conveys many things, the most important of its meanings are relegated and denied. Majority of Nigerians speak more than one Nigerian language. One would naturally expect that medium of public communication between representative/leaders and the people will be the ‘global’ majority tongue of the geography i.e. state and sub-state levels. They peoples have not rejected or discouraged listening to budget, anniversary message or holiday message in Igbo, Nupe, Ijo, Yoruba, Efik and so on. There is nothing puritanical in such expectation. Rather they are increasingly shorn of their patrimony as English language is ruthlessly re-imposed. This ontological assault has created confusing personalities who live in conflict of linguistic disequilibrium. For many, priority is given to the English with all sorts of unarticulated justifications.

All No be Zombie

One may argue if choice of language will bring food to the table. It will do better than that by reinforcing collective ontology and essence. It will force a re-thinking on our understanding of the function of language. Some of many leaders like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, General Emeka Ojukwu and others appreciated and assimilated these values in their learning and speaking at least 3 languages of Nigeria with clinical fluency. Before the entity and concept called Nigeria emerged, interaction of peoples under its umbrella was active and sign-language was not the lingua franca. There were significant progress in trade, exchange and learning between various nations and empires, a case which is easily dismissed by those who claim peoples of Nigeria had nothing in common. At least they are all Africans! Various communities across the land have citizens of whose genetic origins are distances or nations away.  Even today the multinational and plurinational characters of the peoples cannot be denied but their interaction is no incentive for evangelisation of imposed imperial language(s).

Diplomatic Wahala!

Openness, greater interaction and reduced cost of travel have brought more exposure to wider use of language. It has also enabled appreciation that linguistic struggle of Europe, perceived as the epitome of development, remains unfinished business. European Union may be questionable in delivering neo-liberal economic agenda; however its language policy is active in broad representation of peoples.  At least over 15 languages are used as official medium of communication, presentation and documentation.

Nigerians are still struggling to articulate the reason for its existence talk less of finalising its policy on language. In the meantime they’ll continue reading the ‘gospel according to st English’. It is now business-as-usual observing Nigerian officials quibbling, struggling and faff around with English language for international media. The initial striking point is enormous energy, massive strain, discomfort and above all dislocation with the language each claims to be his/her own. There is no law that says that an official must communicate in a imposed language of difficulty, there is no code that banish using other languages (with interpreters) to communicate in diplomatic/international fora. By the way who is the audience? In most cases anyone speaking on international platform have his/her domestic audience in mind.

As a collorary, it is more likely that a Nigerian young woman in UK or US will scan and dismiss Nigerian young man for approaching ‘her majesty’ in their national tongue or questionable English accent.

Our Arab brothers/sisters in North Africa have greater clarity in the subject. Even the current president for all his qualification in formal education can at times appear like a rabbit before a head lamp in confusion, oral pugilism and mandibular contortion. For what? To live an examined life? Is speaking Ijo (with interpreter) anathema on international scene?

Lessons in Ignorance

Our Asian brothers/sisters have made greater strides in the language sphere and they have babels of it. They have contentment, maturity, metaphysical astuteness and confidence to deal with anyone in their own tongue when it matters. Time has passed when eloquence and command of English language is a measure of intelligence, actually in many cases it is a measure of stupidity and ontological dislocation. Those who erroneously harbour in their mangled minds that many Nigerians who relish their national languages anywhere are inferior only ignorantly express their comfort in the mire of arrogance. This is more so with those who are brain-washed with a virulent type of religious abuse that diminishes, retrogresses and distorts essence and origin in various forms of suffocated christianity.

If one don’t know himself/herself, cannot communicate trully with oneself and to other in teh confidence of his/her original tongue where applicable, doesn’t examine his/her live thoroughly, I doubt his/her life will be worth living. I am doubtful that the descendants and successors will easily reverse what was lost in language in an intergenerational quagmire.

Cold realities of Africa – China Relationship

Introduction

The break out of China as real geopolitical giant with economic clout in the last decade is resonating across the world most curiously in the continent of Africa. While babel of opinions ride the waves in favour and in opposition, there are fundamental enablers for this development. Beneath and with these fundamental enablers are cold realities which may remain inert nevertheless irrefutable.  These realities are clear to Beijing and chancelleries across Africa.  Some of the points below highlight the issues at stake;

·         Regardless of the increasing geopolitical profile of Beijing, it remains a state be it nation-state or civilisation-state. It is just another country on the Asian continental mass including her disputed territories and disputed continental shelves. Africa is a continent made up of many states with similar/dissimilar policies, institutions, government and strategic objectives.

·         The communist party rule that commenced in 1949 brought a lot of international reversals and rejections for China including the abominable crime of being the only United Nations Security Council member to be deprived of her rightful seat (by United States). This situation was corrected by concerted efforts of African and Asian countries who lobbied for China’s UNSC to revert from Taipei to Beijing in 1971[1].

·         Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party strategic objectives are to hold on to power unchallenged and to maintain internal national security (by any means necessary)[2]. This implies using the newly available enormous resources at her disposal to provide over a billion citizens with infrastructure, services, facilities and incentives to ensure high standard of living. By so doing potential internal tensions, political recriminations and power struggle are nipped in the bud.

·         Chinese investment in Africa are part of strategic objective to readily access and purchase resources required to maintain her increasing economy and burgeoning consumption. It is not a moral venture to reward Africans, power elites and privateers.

·         There are favourable conditions and attractive incentives in Africa open to every geopolitical power[3] which only Beijing saw fit to pursue further for a number of reasons including but not limited to gradual weakness of European Union, United States ambivalence on Africa and Russia clear avoidance of Africa in foreign policy. There is no evidence that Beijing is challenging the named powers which may suggestively lead to erroneous justification of Africa as battleground of geopolitical ambitions. These regressions open window of brinkmanship among African elites to deal with Beijing with freer hand.

·         China is not ready and may never become an independent dominant geopolitical colossus. There are many reasons for this scenario. The decline of the west in real terms is currently restricted to Europe (an Union)[4] with the haemorrhaging of astute political leadership and increasing economic regression. United States remains and will remain in the scene as the undisputed geopolitical (economic & military) although limited power for at least 2 more generation as she possess the knowledge base, resources, institutions, vibrant population, and large economy if defence budget is trimmed considerably[5].  Nevertheless US eyes on Africa remain focused in large on her mineral resources and in limited spaces like Uganda, Rwanda, Egypt and Ethiopia. Even these capitals have increased their trade ties with Beijing which implies that Middle East distraction of Washington DC is an incentive to African chancelleries.

·         Real benefit to Africa from trading with China will take generations to delineate clearly because most capitals and African governments have no public support, lack popular base, suffer from institutional decay, ravaged by conflicts and run like nepotistic enterprise.  While the number of Chinese grants and loans are increasing with what seems like favourable conditions, evidence is lacking on the ability of various African governments to take real advantage with Beijing[6].

·         Lopsided deals, weak foreign policy initiatives and lack of strategic vision dominate most of the bilateral agreements between Beijing and African capitals. With money paid for resources ‘flowing with pressure’ into elite coffers, wider populations within and beyond national capital do not benefit from the largesse. Internal divisions, political intrigues and ego clashes between elites are indicators for unsustainable dealings with China. Of course for no fault of Beijing.

·         Most the investments, deals and agreements across Africa seem to be large construction and consumption projects where knowledge and managerial input of locals are severely limited (by Beijing).  Knowledge transfer and sharing of research & development are limited in action and scope. Of course China is still sending her experts for further training in United States and Europe. The large African infrastructural complexes will surely require huge resources and expertise for maintenance.

·         Another example of China’s loose bargain is population transfers to African countries. This is another evidence of African leaders’ inexperience in foreign affairs as potential explosion of tension from dumping of inexperienced, unqualified Chinese and poor-quality products in various markets overhangs.

·          Finally for now China harbours superiority complex which may be tried out beyond her shores in Africa. For Chinese elites and most of the Chinese people, their origin is unique and separate from the rest of humanity. For these mindsets, Africa is not the origin & home of man[7].

---

[1] Clegg, J (2009) China’s Global Strategy Towards a Multipolar World. Pluto: London p.51

[2] Salisbury, H.S (1993) The New Emperors Mao and Deng. HarperCollins: London, Chapter 49

[3] Simms, B (2013) Europe The Struggle for Supremacy 1453 to the Present. Allen Lane: London p.257-259

[4] Connolly, B (2012) The Rotten Heart of Europe. Faber and Faber: London

[5] Bacevich, A (2008) The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism (Macmillan, USA)

[6] Cardenal, J.B & Araujo, H (2013) China’s Silent Army. Allen Lane: London, Chapters 2 & 16

[7] Jacques, M (2009) When China Rules the World, The rise of the Middle Kingdom and the end of Western World. Allen Lane: London, Chapter 8

Quenelle – the nadir cum collapse of French politics

Introduction

One wouldn’t be condemned if they were lost and later found on a landscape dominated in the last few weeks by the current never-ending development in France. If one is ‘wise’ enough to admit the complete dominance of European politics by the right intellectual poverty for now, then the question would be why is the irrelevant made relevant in the French political landscape?  This question points directly to the heart of the issue, quenelle, currently raging in France between the powerful elite and majority poor French.

The last few weeks has seen serious emergence of action by the French state since the ill-fated election of Mr Normal, Francois Hollande. Some may take issue with the word ‘ill-fated’ and rightly so. For common French citizens i.e. the majority poor he is a continuation of delusion, hopelessness and poverty of leadership that can be traced back to former president Francois Mitterrand.

Elite Failed Seduction vs. Power Potential of the Multitude

On all counts of his election promise, Mr Hollande’s government has failed to the point that he has been honoured with the lowest presidential poll rating since such record began in France. While that may not be a serious indicator of performance there is no other figures pointing him in positive light. Unemployment numbers have not changed and the so-called holy grail of economic performance in triple A+ lost by the previous government remains unrestored. The question now can be rightly posed, what is the current French government up to?

Before dissecting the question it is important to address the quenelle issue. Not so much on the etymology, morphology, description or essence as I have no time to regurgitate extremes of shallowness or sagacity of many ‘experts’ on the matter. Nevertheless the crucial point is acceptance that finally the government has bared her teeth in an infamous way to distracting citizens and population from pressing ahead with focusing. That is focusing on the poverty of leadership, intellectual hollowing out and administrative meltdown of the French elite. The quenelle debacle is part of the lengthy final lap of dishonour of the French elite who have finally confirmed their impotence, inability and unwillingness to rule.

Neoliberal Allergies

On another level it is also a confirmation of a pattern making round in Europe in the last decade that democratic process and elections are simply tools by the elite to dominate self-deflated majority. The fact that the European Union is a bastion of neoliberal ideology is not lost on citizens across the continent but there is special resonance when it comes to France. Therefore the French elite decided to make an example of an individual, a comedian and a citizen whose only crime is reminding citizens of their right of awareness in a civil space.

Now that the full force of the state has come to bear on the ‘problem’ what next? Will the economy improve? Will the fortune of neoliberal agenda be rolled back? Will any sense of being special be felt by ordinary French men and women? No, is the answer on the three counts; rather the austerity homily will continue without soft belly. The French population will continue to haemorrhage from leadership poverty of elitism and political retrogression.   

Therefore the current French leadership personalised in Francois Hollande has failed with no success in sight till the next election when hopefully the candidate, Mr/Miss Abnormal may enter the Elysee Palace.

Élan Genealogy

None of these unfolding events is either new or crept in by surprise if you are patient with history. Like I stated earlier various previous French presidents have used grandiosity and questionable decisions to bamboozle the electorate. Even General De Gaulle was in the act by pretending to punch above his weight while reality presented a contrary narrative. One must understand the attempt by Napoleon to turn France into undisputed power ended with him in defeat. Jacques Chirac charm and apparent Gallic prowess only consolidate charismatic delusion devoid of increase in quality of life or real prestige in the international arena. Nicolas Sarkozy finally tilted the balance by among horrendous things dismantling French ‘uniqueness’ for a lapdog patch on the altar of US hegemony. Re-joining NATO high Command finally laid De Gaulle to rest in peace.

Francois Hollande simply took over the baton from another elite to continue the policies of his predecessors. What many refused to acknowledge it that elites dominate European political landscape via parties as much as there is no need for difference in policies, opinions and strategies. It is a battle between ‘powerless’ majority and the minority with power. Either the majority put up or shut up. Power cannot be given up without a fight and at the moment French majority are seduced, deluded and confused.

Loser (Client) Projecting Power at the Periphery

Inability to sustain expected change at home has pushed Paris on constant misadventure abroad especially in Africa in the bid to knock London off the perch of 'special relationship' with Washington DC. As the new underling of the State Department it took the lead in 2011 Libyan destruction, Malian invasion and now Central African Republic invasion. All to enable US global capital masked as AFRICOM to extend its sphere against Chinese interests through recolonisation. Evidently and over time there will be nothing to show for it except the usual nibbles of defence contracts for the elites. This pattern of external and southwards vision indicates fundamental failure in Europe where Germany has got back everything she lost without firing a shot in almost 2 generations.  Paris is no longer an equal of Berlin. There is one European economic and political power, Germany, and Paris knows it and its architecture. The EU Paris worked so hard to set up as a bulwark against Germany has failed both French elite in a way and truly the French people. Hence the new African adventures! Poignantly Bismarck said his Africa is in Europe.

Historical Bookmark

The trail of failures of French elite is almost genetic and intergenerational in significance. The biggest of it was rendered clearly and emphatically. The result is Germany. Otto von Bismarck, Prussian Chancellor, spent most of his career attempting to forge Prussia and Germanic principalities into a unified powerful state in the centre of Europe to counter Britain, Russia and France. By twist of French elite incredulity and incompetence, Bismarck joined a conflict in which Napoleon III was taken prisoner by Prussian forces. This defeat was consolidated in the Hall of Mirrors Versailles and Germany was born in 1871, with sclerotic consequences for later generations.

Conclusion

French state reaction to Quenelle is a distraction per excellence a la French elite.  It is a fitting conclusion to remind the French elite to avoid crying like a woman for what it failed to hold like a man.