theft

The Leadership of a Bad Brother – Round 3

/ Grimot Nane Zine / Leave a comment

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The third instalment of The Leadership of a Bad Brother has the same context and focus on the first two. The random presentation of thoughts is intended to reflect the haphazard manner by which victims of bad organisations and bad leaders order their thoughts privately. Some respondents have questioned where this diary is heading. The author intends to open a dialogue with readers about direct personal experiences of tyranny/abuses, within any kind of setting they have worked or belonged. Whether it is a voluntary organisation, corporation or government agency. The participation of the reader in this dialogue can make open that which is hidden and potentially held change things. Not many contributions received so far.

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The Leadership of a Bad Brother

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These musings as ordinary as they are have been inspired daily by reflections on the leadership of someone I can best describe as a “Brother”. Put together as a diary, it is an attempt to make sense of the tyranny an individual with the help of a few cronies can exact on people of means but no voice. It also attempts to present an eschatology of the end of tyranny as is observed. Each entry tells part of the story as appropriately as is possible.
The art of making powerful enemies mostly depends on one’s willingness or compulsion [either] not to care or to care so much about what others do in your actions and reactions. When making enemies be prepared. – 30/06/2016

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Native Politics: Thieves and Treasures

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Thief

At the heart of Nigerian politics and the thinking that drives it is a pervasive ‘nativity’ that cannot be ignored or dismissed. Musing without it is impossible. Can you imagine a polity in which the “high and mighty” as well as the “hungry and insignificant” truly believe “the best way to protect a treasure is to have it guarded by a competent thief”? Such a belief though thoroughly ‘native’, assumes that the thief has a strong sense of shame or a sensitive conscience, and is limited to his residential environs. Continue reading →

The Ontology of the African VI: Thieving Patriotism

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‘Patriotism of the stomach’ is much more pitiable than it sounds. Patriotism, even in moderate forms, is a thoroughly virtuous state of being to adopt underpinned by loyalty, commitment, support and above all selflessness in support and defence of one’s country. In Africa, it is the reverse, with rare exceptions. Patriotism is the adherence to national interests, not personal or crony interests. Unfortunately, the most’ patriotic African’ (as is locally regarded) is the one who intends to or actually (a) steals the most, (b) profits the most or (c) defends the banditry and profiteering of others the most, from and the at the expense of his or her country. The ‘patriotic African’ is vicious, not virtuous. How can a positive ontology of the African come out of such a bifurcated internal conflict? An ontology of patriotism based on ‘the sharp’ dispossessing of the state and citizens of their wealth has too many horrendous implications.

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