Sweden

The Days Gone By….Muamba, Barcelona FC et al

/ Adeola / 2 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu
It’s been almost one month since I wrote my last blog/article. Time flies, things happen, every second for that matter.

I have tabs on several news/event and I even have newspaper cuttings that I’d saved. But now I decided not to look at the newspapers or to even think about the events of the last one month as it were.

I will just write what comes to my mind.

PATRICE MUAMBA

I remember Fabrice Muamba, his miraculous recovery from a failed heart during Bolton’s game versus Tottenham. Fabrice has made tremendous recovery and he will surely be out of the hospital soon.

The survival of Fabrice says a lot about the standard of hospitals in England. This incident brought out the best in the English health scheme and training.

My friends and I remember how Sam Oparaji died at the National Stadium in Lagos in 1989 while playing a tensed game against Angola.

One Nigerian player also died recently in Sudan. These sad occurrences may have been prevented if the health system in Nigeria and Sudan are in top form. But we will never know..! This is just the way some things are, inconclusive.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Yesterday I switch off then I changed the channel to Movie channel after the referee gave Barcelona its’ second penalty against AC Milan.

I cannot imagine watching such a useless game to the end. I don’t think the referee is normal. He needs a medical check up. But many people think that Barcelona is UEFA team.

It is possible. I remembered I didn’t watch the champions league for a whole season after Barcelona were favoured against Chelsea in one game where a Barcelona player had handled the ball and a penalty was not given.

Maybe it’s time to take another break from stupid games where the referees and possible UEFA are cheats. It’s hard to tell, really. And considering also the bettings and gambles behind the scene, then impossible is nothing!

THE TROUBLE WITH NIGERIA

It’s hard for me to not write about Nigeria. What is also hard is to live with the mentality of an average Nigerian that complaining about Nigeria isn’t worth it. Just try to make it and live with it. It’s a mixed feeling not having to live in Nigeria and then trying hard still to “see” if what I write can help change some situations.

Indeed sometimes what I write about gets through and some positive outcomes do take place from time to time.
Still it is even harder to hide from the reality that corruption and stupidity is the order of the day when it comes to Nigerian politics. The people I write about don’t read my blog and the people who read my blog thinks that it is just another ranting Nigerian.

It always seems that ranting Nigerians are looking for entrances to main stream “looting” Nigerian. And when they do, their lives change like Reuben Abati and Segun Adeniyi.

Sadly, and true 99% of the times-Nigerian public office holders are the same (looters and thieves).
But when the president is a crook-accepting bribe for everything and spending Nigeria’s money as if it is his father’s inheritance, what moral compass are we going to use to gauge the performance of the people and country.

When the senate president is a well-known junta and looter, any expectation of the eradication of poverty is like building a house on sand.

When all those who have stolen are our brothers and sisters and they are free to oppress us with the monies they stole, what legacy are we leaving to the generation after us?

Nigeria is rotten, inside out, from the top to the bottom. It remains an aggregation of familiar enemies fighting for the common resources and looting the proceeds without fear or hindrance.

Nigeria is lost! Boko Haram is an offspring of a lost course. Many more bastard associations will be revealed in the months ahead.

It’s not easy to face anyone in Naija and ask for a change. Almost everyone and everybody in infected with the corruption virus and the cut corner approaches.

School children have failed in national exams in what appears to be the last phase of the collapse of public schools. Nigeria jaga-jaga was an under-statement.

Yet, we remain proud..! It is good to remain nationalistic. But it is almost criminal to pretend that all is well, or that all is going to be well when all the indicators are otherwise.

In federal and state governments, sanity is lost and accountability is akin to shooting yourself in the foot if you ask for it.

I have been constantly reminded that those in governance have only one head. Therefore the time will come for others to be part of government and do their own looting.

Jagajaga, I repeat is an understatement. Everybody is doing anyhow and anything. Government is so far away that hope is like a death sentence.

In addition to the dead educational system, health, and other social infrastructure are like luxuries. Power supply is a forgone issue, it will never happen in Nigeria. Power generation is rubbish..!

Generators will be in Nigeria for several years to come.

All these things are sad and they remind us that even though we claim we are intelligence, the results are telling the opposite.

Intelligent people and intelligent countries have power supply all year round and transient interruptions are due to unpreventable or unexpected circumstances.

GLOBAL MADNESS

THE DAYS GONE by are the same globally. Nothing has changed. Social injustice is everywhere and political groups have created more problems that they have solved. World powers are silly, they fight stupid wars. On one side they fight terrorism, on the other side they install terrorist to lead. Sometimes I just conclude that man is a crazy animal that does not know what he wants.

Criminals on the Rampage in Stockholm

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Adeola Aderounmu

Violence and crimes have no tribal marks. In the south of Sweden there have been many unsolved murder cases. I will write about this when I’ve laid my hands on the actual data.

In Stockholm criminals are on the rampage.

There are reports that there are as many as 70 break-ins per week in Stockholm. If this trend is not checked quickly this scary data will make Stockholm to rank among the most dangerous cities in the world.

In January alone over 300 houses and apartments were raided. Usually the criminals lay siege when the owners have gone to work or are out of town.

In some cases more than one house or apartments are raided simultaneously. The criminals usually are gone before the police arrive.

Between November 2011 and January 2012 about 149 arrests were made. But the sentences are mild compare to the crimes committed. The maximum sentence for this sort of crime is about 4 months.

If the thief is less than 21 years, he or she may not even go to jail. Community service may be the verdict.

So it is a situation that allows for criminals to increase their network. If someone steals a gold worth several thousand dollars, what is that compare to 4 months jail term? A jackpot I would say.

The consequences of being a criminal in Sweden may be a factor that has now allow crime to increase and the trend may continue.

I think a longer jail term should be recommended for criminals and this is something that the Swedish government should look into.

The opportunity cost of not punishing crime appropriately is that Stockholm will go on to be listed among the most dangerous places on earth.

The choice is always there between what we allowed and what we prevented.

Ideas from [www.dn.se]

The Price of Petrol in Sweden since 2002

/ Adeola / 1 Comment

By Adeola Aderounmu

The price of petrol (popularly called bensin in Sweden) finally hits the USD2/ liter price. This is the costliest ever it has been in Sweden.

In 2009 the price dropped to 12,06/ kr per liter after reaching 12,54 kr/ liter the previous year.

YEAR PRICE IN KRONOR/LITER PRICE IN DOLLARS
2002 9,37 1,39
2003 9, 46 1,41
2004 10,05 1,49
2005 11,13 1,65
2006 11,55 1,72
2007 11,65 1,73
2008 12,54 1,86
2009 12,06 1,79
2010 12,97 1,93
2011 14,09 2,09
2012 14,93 2,22

[Source: Metro Sweden 16 feb 2012]

[The conversion rates could have been different in the early 2000s]

Footnote/Update:

On 18th February 2012 the cost price per liter hit the 15,00kr mark making it the most expensive ever. Statoil was selling at 15,06kr/liter.

The Day I Was Arrested At Frankfurt Airport

/ Adeola / 4 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

I’d wanted to tell this story since December 2010 when I was arrested by the German Police at Frankfurt Airport.

Sonala’s article stating MMA as a metaphor of a Non-Governing Governance gave me the needed impetus.

I have a butterfly knife that I love so much that I always carry it with me. It serves as a utility tool. Last December I took it with me to Nigeria. Somehow it ended up in my backpack where I also have the basic things that my children need.

We left Nigeria on Dec. 28 after celebrating Christmas in Lagos.

We went through rigorous checks at MMA. They turned everything inside out and we even went through the scanners and all their cancer-inducing machines.

You can imagine my shock when I was stopped at Frankfurt the next morning and ordered to step aside. The police were called immediately and I was interrogated and made to give a written statement.

They found my butterfly knife in my bag. They have a functional scanner there in Frankfurt. Or maybe they are not looking at just the human physiology like our brethren back at MMA.

They told me that I could be required in the court of law and a notification will be sent to me about that. I have waited since December 2010 but it appears the case was not pursued further. Hopefully this essay will not stir it up again.

The officers took my knife and wanted to retain it as an exhibit. I guessed they will throw it away. I told them that I really cherished the knife and that it meant something to me. They were a bit surprised but respected my views.

They said I can only retain the knife on one condition. I have to go out of the waiting hall and check in at Lufthansa’s desk. To save my knife it became necessary for me to check in at a point of transit. I took one of our baggage with me, put the knife inside and checked it in.

Even though I had the status of a “potential terrorist” I was still allowed to exercise my rights and to choose what I wanted to do with my knife.

We had luck that there was ample time to our connecting flight. I was still able to fly with my family. They were waiting for me at another point but they could see me. The arrest was something I had to sort out alone since I was the one carrying the bag.

If a butterfly knife on the side pocket of a backpack cannot be detected at MMA, I could only imagine the possibility of a terrorist being able to blow up the entire airport in these days of micro- and nano-technologies.

I remembered one day in 2002 when my things were taken from me at MMA. I was not given any choice at all. They just “obtained” me like that. They took my things and I left Nigeria with such a sad experience. The story is the same today. When I leave Nigeria these days I travel light.

There are several sad things about MMA that Sonala didn’t mention. I trust that he wanted to save Nigeria from some serious embarrassment.
MMA should actually have been converted to a local airport altogether. On developmental scale, MMA is on the same level as Iyana Ipaja because Oshodi is far better these days.

There is nothing about MMA that fits into international standard. I was embarrassed that my family first’s visit to Nigeria took them through this point of entry. There was nothing to explain because they have read many of my essays.

The traffic in Lagos almost made us cry and the work rate of NEPA not only made us deaf temporarily, it also ensured that my kids found a special toy in Nigeria-the torchlight. How they loved it!

I have also wondered about the crowd at the airport. Is it possible to divert the crowd to Onikan, Adamasingba or National stadium so they can provide the spectatorship that our football games are longing for?

I was afraid I could be mishandle by the thousands of uniform men at MMA and that was the reason I didn’t take any picture at all. Too many angry faces looking for preys!

It is as if all the security men in Lagos are based at MMA. The variant of uniforms will make a good thesis for a post-graduate student.
Someone should take the offer so that the rest of us can understand why thousands of uniformed people are stationed at an overcrowded point like MMA. Is that the meaning of double wahala?

There are so many waste materials, big and small, different forms and shapes, electrical and others littering all the premises of the airport. The interior of the airport is too stuffy, hot, disorganized and haphazard. It pains the eyes.

It took more than 2½ hours for us to retrieve our luggage when we arrived that fateful evening that eventually turned to night at MMA. I had to tell my cousin to take my wife and children home while I waited for the remaining luggage. My brother in law it was who kept record of the time. I’m happy he didn’t faint in the waiting process.

There was one funny but sad situation also that same night.
One of our luggages was not on the major conveyor belt. We were told it could have been sent to the small or extra conveyor belt. Bu alas!
They can’t find the guy who has the key to the conveyor. It was a sort of crazy-looking conveyor that led directly from the outside to the inside and it is used for transporting wheel chairs and sorts into the main waiting hall. After a long wait, they found the guy with the key.

When we got back to our base in Europe my brother in-law politely told me that it has taken just 20 minutes since we arrived and we are already driving home. What was I supposed to say?

He didn’t have to tell me about the absence of crowd or uniformed people. He didn’t have to say the rest. I’ve been living with it for nearly a decade.

The level of security at MMA is appalling. The long wait and long queues are surely pretenses that someone or some people are working hard. It’s all nonsense. The things that take you 5 minutes at other airports around the world can take you several hours at MMA. If you have a heart disease or you are hypertensive you should either avoid MMA or take loads of medication with you.

The sad stories about MMA are inexhaustible.

I was also frustrated that I have to fill some forms as I entered Nigeria even though it state clearly on the top that it is for foreigners. And every time I gave the form back there was something I didn’t do right. I was turning brain-dead on the queues and I can’t believe that officer expected me to write my full address on that form. Who knows there the forms are heading?

As far as MMA is concerned it is a serious embarrassment to Nigeria. To call MMA a disaster or a disgrace is an understatement. It is not organized at all. No one should hope for a terror attack at that airport, the fatalities and consequences would be devastating. Let’s not imagine it. MMA is the worst airport I have been to. It is what you get when you have a Non-Governing Governance.

Ghana As The True Rising Giant Of Africa

/ Adeola / 25 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

Ghana’s GDP has been reviewed upward (USD 31.5) representing a growth of 75%.

What is interesting is that the new figure reflected the contributions of both the service and agricultural sectors.

The Ghanaian government is looking into other areas of her economy where changes and development can be made.
Ghana recently started extracting oil. Ghana is preparing for a future full of hopes and abundant blessings. Three generations from now, the children of Ghana will be living the dreams of their fathers and mothers. What a beautiful people and country!

This means that Ghana is probably the real and true giant of Africa.

Democracy is working in Ghana. In Ghana there is a sense of collective nationalism and citizen responsibility. Ghanaians are building Ghana and making it not only the envy of West Africa but the continent as a whole.

In the 1980s the Nigerian Government chased the Ghanaian community out of Nigeria. The infamous “Ghana Must Go” was xenophobia of the highest order in which Nigerians falsely ascribed their economic misfortunes and rising unemployment rate to the presence of Ghanaians in Nigeria. It was a detestable political move.

Nigerians have no shame at all. Today a few decades after Ghanaians left Nigeria, Nigerians are now the ones hustling in Ghana. For several reasons majority of Nigerians have chosen Ghana as their favourite spot in Africa. Others prefer the so called SA.

There are thousands of Nigerian students in Ghanaian Universities not for exchange reasons but because the useless successive, corrupt governments in Nigeria have done almost nothing to improve education. Many Nigerian politicians send their children to school in Europe and America. Ghana has also been added to the fanciful list of options. They destroyed the system in Nigeria and send their children and families abroad to school.

Nigerians have also chosen Ghana as the hotspot for honeymoon. Several other Nigerians visit Ghana as part of their annual holidays. Nigerians are among the largest number of tourists in Ghana. We chased them out of Nigeria and now we are going to their country to admire them. What a failed country, Nigeria!

Nigerians should thank Ghana and Ghanaians for not being hostile. Ghanaians are not xenophobic like Nigerians. They welcome us while not even referring to how we humiliated them out of Nigeria in 1983. Ghanaians have a forgiving spirit which typical Nigerians lacks. The racism/tribalism Nigerians faced in Nigeria is worse than what they face in Europe and America. This is probably why some Nigerians living in Europe and America also find it more convenient to return to Ghana for holidays as well.

Nigerian businessmen are finding Ghana a more comfortable environment to do businesses. Electricity and other infrastructure are much better in Ghana. But not all Nigerians are doing clean businesses in Ghana. I have read and seen images of Nigerian fraudsters (419 guys) arrested in Ghana.

There is a near complete absence of electricity in Nigeria. The monies budgeted for electricity in Nigeria was stolen by all the government officials in Nigeria and individuals lIke Obasanjo and Abdulsalami are involved. They awarded themselves contract for electricity even though they knew they have no idea what electricity is or how it is produced, managed and distributed. But they are free men and mentors to late Yar Adua and Jonathan. Nigeria is ruled by crooks and thieves and so no real progress is seen nationally in the areas of infrastructure and basic amenities.

It is only in Nigeria that contracts for roads maintenance and repair are given to traditional rulers! In fact it doesn’t matter who gets the contract for Benin-Ore Road for example, the point is that the road is never repaired. Everyone who gets the contract just pocketed the money. Nigerians are dying in vain and hoping in extreme vain as all.

Ghana has her difficulties and like the rest of Africa remains a dumping ground for dangerous electronic items. There are potential dangers because the poor and the desperate are exposed to the harmful components in these electronic wastes. But the government of Ghana is responsible and well aware of the problems. There is a plan and a system that is working towards genuine eradication of poverty in Ghana.

In Nigeria the country is in the hands of gangsters largely aided by an irresponsible followership. In Nigeria the people do not understand the meaning of failure and they do not know what the essence of life is all about, therefore a corrupt party can produce any kind of candidate and still win a majority votes in elections that are usually rigged or manipulated.

The sense of nationalism and collective responsibility is reflected in all aspect of the Ghanaian life. The most obvious is in the area of sport. Ghana is now the most famous sporting nation in Africa courtesy of her exploits in football in South Africa in 2010.

Generally Ghanaians have shown that where there is a will, there is a way. Ghana has shown Africa that democracy can work and that there are dividends of democracy. In Ghana a few people are not looting to the detriment of the population like the way the PDP is championing looting in Nigeria. There is accountability and probity in the government of Ghana.

Ghanaians that have been abroad have been able to help transform Ghana right from the community level to the federal level. They have introduced some systems in Ghana that are adopted from the Swedish communal system. It is working and progress is being achieved.

Many Nigerians abroad are not suggesting how Nigeria can be improved; they are collecting bribes and stolen monies to support useless political parties and candidates.

Nigerian politicians and rulers only go abroad, open their mouths, admire structures, buildings, take tourist photos and return home to boast of their exploits. They have no sense of direction that they need to improve Nigeria to the level that they see and enjoy when they visit abroad. In several cases of stupidity they bring raw cash and buy properties abroad. Some individuals buy properties that could have been used to provide housing for an entire state in Nigeria. This is how stupid, senseless and idiotic some Nigerians are. Yet they have admirers and followers.

In recent time when Nigeria gave orders that Ivory Coast should be invaded, following as a puppet in the order of Sarkozy and Quattara, Ghana stood back as the father of Africa and opposed the invasion. War Crimes have been committed in Ivory Coast in the name of the United Nation, Nigeria and France. It took Ghanaians to bring the images of massacre to the world through a well-documented and organized protest.

Ghana knows what the future is all about and as a country she is preparing for it. Ghana since the days of Rawlings has never acted for the moment. Rawlings and Kuffour never acted for the moment. They love their country and acted for the future. This is what all Ghanaians are doing. A leader showed the way and they have never looked back since. They are imbibing the spirit of Nkrumah, one of Africa’s best known nationalists.

If Nigerians can look beyond the moment and make their institutions work, one day they will know that as far as this world is concern Nigeria is nowhere to the found on the map of nations/country with sense and purpose. We conduct questionable elections like they were done more than 2000 years ago. We vote or support a 12-year old failed party and we think it’s ok! We celebrate corruption and ill-gotten wealth in the name of God. Our institutions are dead and quality public education is totally absent. I can count in a thousand ways why Ghana, rather than Nigeria is the giant of Africa.

May the spirit of Ghana fill the whole of Africa.