SNOWDEN and SNOWDENIZATION

By Adeola Aderounmu

Snowden is a noun. It is obtained from two words: den and snow. Literally a den made of snow would be a freezing point below absolute zero. You don’t want to fall into a “snow-den”.

A Snowden can be a person who betrayed the trust of both his employer and his country. In the eyes of the world, that is brave and courageous. In the eyes of the betrayed parties: it is treason and the hunt for Snowden will be a life time pursuit.

A Snowden can be a person who gave up the comfort of a good life because of bad conscience: conscience according to Dan Fodio will remain an open wound that only the truth can heal. A Snowden seeks to heal the open wound by abandoning a life where other people’s secrets are torn apart and used for both good and bad purposes.

But the people or organization left behind by a Snowden will always find new recruits swearing newer oaths. Even the devil can be replaced in the kingdom of darkness. Where there is life, there is all kinds of possibilities.

A Snowden is possibly a person that (through his search for the truth or through his knowledge of good and bad) will abandon a life of freedom for a life of guarded secrecy-whereby his residence and activities are only known to one or two people.

In several ways, a Snowden can be defined or redefined.

Snowdenization is when your enemies or the friends of your enemies seeks a Snowden to expose your secrets or to confine their suspiciousness of your actions which they deemed diabolic. In Snowdenization the people you have insulted or humiliated one way or the other seek a revenge.

Snowdenization is the sharing of information that are aimed to harm or disgrace you, even when you think you are invisible or untouchable. Snowdenization is the sharing of secret files among all and sundry.

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(…maybe updated)

Lampedusa , The Road to Death…

Adeola Aderounmu

African rulers especially those in the West, East and the Horn of Africa should really be ashamed of themselves.

How they push their citizens to deaths in the Mediterrenean (dead) sea is a big shame on them.

Economic hardship continues to lead many Africans into desperate attempts to get out of Africa at any cost-even death.

It is unthinkable how the same type of “madness” repeats itself with accuracy. Something is wrong with the rulers of North Africa where boats are taken regularly to Lampedusa and other small European-claimed Islands that provides first contact of migrants to Europe.

Then Europe responds as if it cares only for the same response to greet the next waiting tragedy.

In totality everyone connected with this tragedy is acting like they care.

Everyone condemns the deaths but no one cares to stop to next one.

Many African rulers are not thinking of improving security and economic situations in their territories. Many of them and the politicians generally continue to steal, loot and care “less” for their citizenns.

The next set of desperate migrants are already looking for ways to cross into Lampedusa depsite this new tragedy. The next Libyan or Tunisian dealer is already looking for customers and the government in these North African countries don’t give a damn about the suicide missions.

So the cycle of madness continues.

The problem is not Italy’s problem. It is the problem of all the countries in Africa where these migrants come from-Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Ghana, Cameroun and so on.

Often the migrants lie about their countries of origin depending on the ease of getting sympathy or asylum in Europe.

When the world is ready, they will inform the North African government how disappointed they are about the flow of deadly traffic from the waters of North Africa.

When the world is ready, they will inform useless African rulers about how they have impoverished and deprived their citizens of good life.

The advanced countries are probably “ok” with the flow of the willing slavery business that is now totally voluntary! What a sad irony!

Those advanced countries that continue to collude and connive with African leaders to misuse or cart away the treasures of Africa are also parts of the problems.

The biggest chunk of the issue rest on the mentalities of African rulers and how they have enslaved their people beyond the transatlantic slave trade era.

If people are happy at home, they will not find the need to take suicide missions across the waters of North Africa.

These migrants should actually be forming pressure groups at home to force regime change that can bring about positive decelopments in Africa. The problem is that once people capture power in Africa, a certain “spirit” of selfishness take over them and they become blind to the realities of the others.

So in a way, the situation is complex and the way out is difficult.

Summarily, as Europeans continue with their hypocrisy on this situation, Africans especially the would-be migrants should be asking themselves: how long do they want to dive into the deadly waters before they realise that their continent that is full of treasures and opportunities can be turned around for their own good.

(unedited)

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ICC And the Dilemma of African Rulers

By Adeola Aderounmu

Kenya may be pulling out of ICC. Many African countries may follow suit.

The ICC was supposed to be a place to bring criminals to judgement irrespective of continents or affiliations.

Unfortunately it has turned out to be a place primarily for the prosecution of war criminals from Africa. These criminals are serving and ex-dictators or rulers from Africa.

It’s sad because whilst it serves as a deterrent or likely deterrent for future war crimes, it is essentially a discriminatory or racial institution.

Why have war criminals from Britain and America not been prosecuted or even served warrant of arrest? Are some race or countries more equal than others? The answer is yes if we go by the standard by which this world is run.

Not that I like any stupid dictator from Africa (an inch). I think the problems from Africa are obvious because of the stupid ways many of the continent dictators and civilian rulers plunder their countries. That makes their crimes too obvious but not more serious than the drones and rockets that have sent children and other people to their early graves in countries targeted by NATO, Britain and America.

If ICC will stand the test of time, the prosecution of war criminals and those who committed crimes against humanity must be across board. If a British Prime Minister or an American president cannot be prosecuted for war crimes then the ICC should be scrapped immediately. As it is now, it is a useless organisation and a racial instrument.

Many Days Gone By: Corruption is Global

Adeola Aderounmu

I am finding it more difficult to update my blog not because of lack of motivation or information but probably because of the tasks of dragging together all the pieces and bits that makes whole news.

When you write about a country like Nigeria you are never short of news-good or bad.

When you live in a country somewhere in Europe then you gradually face the task of balancing the news from Africa with the imperfectness of every country.

Recently I began to gain more insight into the high level of corruption in the European society and in fact the world as a stage for social injustice. When people say you cannot save the world, they make an unmistakable conclusion, still not pointing out those ills will make the world a more reckless place to live.

In Sweden for example the politicians are very corrupt as well. Sometimes the corruption is open and acceptable. For example when ex-politicians continue to receive huge payments for several years after their service in the parliament it is nothing but corruption. But it is open and stupidly acceptable to be that way. It is very similar to Nigerian lawmakers appropriating excessive sums to themselves for almost doing nothing but sitting and talking bullshit.

It is shocking that the level of corruption in Sweden is that high. There have been several reports in the large newspapers about how parties are held using tax payers money. How money is inflated for private use and luxurious semesters and travels. Sometimes some politicians are forced to vacate their positions after some big expositions. Sometimes the heat fizzle and the looting continues, especially the issue of pension for inactive (lazy) Swedish lawmakers.

It is morally unjust and wicked for someone who owns or runs a private company to be earning pension at the same time.

Corruption is corruption but the dimension and impacts varies. One major difference between corruption in Nigeria and in Sweden is that it is widespread in Nigeria and the impact in Nigeria has led to widespread poverty and aggravated underdevelopment. In Sweden almost everyone has access to the basic stuffs of life and the welfare system takes care of a lot of things no matter how imperfect it is.

Corruption is a global trademark but its impacts will continue to vary from one place to another. The punishment for established corruption also differs. Nigerians live with it and they don’t really bother because they have come to agree that everybody is corrupt including their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and other people that they know in government and private institutions. Without corruption, millions of Nigerians will not make it and with it more than 70% of the population suffer bitterly.

Corruption, lack of control over state resources, lack of true federalism, the condemnable lack of patriotism and lack of sense of belonging has robbed the Nigeria of greatness and there is no end in sight. It pains. It hurts a free mind.

I hope to return to normal blogging as the days come by. Many things are happening that are shaping the hopelessness in Nigeria and it will be disservice to posterity to let them be.

The Miracle of Berlin: Germany 4: Sweden 4

By Adeola Aderounmu

I watched in disbelief as Sweden overtuned a 4 goal deficit and nearly snatched victory in Berlin on the 16th of October 2012.

The Germans were 3 goals up after 30 minutes with 2 goals from Klose and one from Per Mertasacker.

In the 56th minute Ozil got the 4th goal and appeared to have “sealed” the game for the Germans.

The turning point came for the Swedes when Zlatan perfectly utilised a cross from Kim Källström. Zlatan headed beyond the German goalkeeper to orchestrate one of the biggest and most inprobable comebacks in football history.

With 35 minutes to go, Sweden scored 3 goals. The last goal was scored in the 93rd minute by Rasmus Elm.

In between, Lustig and Elmander had scored one a piece and Sana missed an open net. Otherwise Sweden would have won the game.

It must have been the worst night for German football but a sweet night for Swedish football.