From Myth to A Cure: Vaccinations Can a universal cure come out of olden African culture, especially one that originates from mythology? “Nothing good comes out of Africa” is a settled statement of the many. Testing the truth of that statement can be difficult or easy, depending on a person’s education and exposure.
Tag: George Ayittey
Ayittey Benchmark: Performance of Presidents
Ayittey Benchmark: Performance of Presidents. How else do you measure it? There are many able Nigerian analysts, commentators, pundits, academics and journalists who have rightfully earned a say in the Nigerian political arena. Most are insincere. Some swing. But a few are truthful in their evaluations of the state of political realities and performances of…
Nigeria Decivilising: Governance by Self-Hating Leaders
The complete metamorphosis of the butterfly is a thoroughly adequate analogy for civilisation: the gradual progression from egg to slug to pupa to imago [the beautiful butterfly]. In the Nigerian context, it starts with the colonised state to the inexperienced independent nation-state to transitional nation-state to strong state. The furthest stage Nigeria ever go to…
“Coconut Head” Corruption
“There is no good name for a terrible disease” – Urhobo proverb. “The solution to Africa’s problems lie solely in Africa” – George Ayittey. Coconut Head Corruption (CHC) is a term derived from the vocabulary of George Ayittey. He is a distinguished U.S. based Ghanaian economist and is used to describe the observed hollow-headedness and thoughtlessness…
Give Nigeria Back Its Stolen Funds: A Challenge to the United Kingdom
A keynote lecture presented at Green Economics Institute 11th Annual Conference at Kellogg College, University of Oxford, England on the 29th of July 2016. The moderator was Miriam Kennet, the CEO of the Green Economics Institue.
Oshiomhole Betrayal: Swiss Account Socialism
Oshiomhole Betrayal: Swiss Account Socialism When the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari announced an increase in fuel price, it was steep. From N87 to N145 litre of petrol. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) reacted. NLC president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, did what Comrade Adams Oshiomhole would have unfailingly done in the same position. Call for a…
Loans Will Not Save Nigeria: The Hidden Costs of Borrowing
President Muhammadu Buhari won many die-hard supporters purely because he refused to play the game of “begging bowl politics” at a time when Africa’s innumerable dictators were queuing up to take IMF / World Bank loans as global neoliberalism aggressively dictated. If Buhari had accepted the aggressively marketed neoliberal-induced loans, General Ibrahim Babangida might have…
We Let Africa Down Badly
An Open Letter to African Academics, Scholars and Intellectuals Dear Colleagues, Upon reviewing the current upheavals in North Africa and elsewhere on the continent, I felt it is necessary for us – African academics, scholars and intellectuals – to take stock and a fresh look at ourselves: What role have we played in advancing the…