Afrika

PRAY FOR AFRIKA

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PRAY FOR AFRIKA

This morning I shared a status on my Whatsapp and I know some people would be mad at me. My prayer for Afrika was not the same as what they expected and surely not the same as their gangster pastors would suggest.

My prayer for Afrika was that Afrika should wake up from her slumber. I prayed that Afrika would rule the world again the same way she did before she was captured, tamed and subdued by different imperialists.

That is my prayer for Afrika and it ended with Ase

NB: I need to blog more, so some of my posts are going to be short and brief. I have some other articles that are pending, they may be longer.

Brief and short blogs will allow me to respond more to situations in Nigeria and Africa. It will keep me closer to YOU!

The Re-education Of The African

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The Re-education Of The African

By Adeola Aderounmu

Adeola Aderounmu

I have no doubts that we need to educate and re-educate Africans. My blog is not a source of historical facts, but I can reflect on what has been and I have a right to write based on my observations and inspirations.

There is no doubt that we have challenges in Africa. We do.

Sometimes I wish I could go out and preach, not as a lazy religious leader ripping the people of their hard earned monies, but as a preacherman asking the people to look deep into their souls and search within for the meaning of their lives and the significance of their existence in relation to their immediate habitat and in a global context.

In matters of African policy and politics, the intellectuals have been relegated and rendered insignificant. They have been pushed to the background, relegated and made voiceless.

Why do we need to educate and re-educate Africans?

We have lost touch with our culture.

We don’t speak our languages.

We don’t write in our languages. I am Yoruba and have not written Yoruba in several decades. I don’t know how to put marks on Yoruba letters. I am guilty. I need education

We need to teach us our culture and languages.

We need to teach us the goodness of our spiritualities and educate ourselves how to remove the evil part of our spiritualities.

We need to go back to our civilization. It was modern and progressive.

We need to find out why we lost the mind games that brought slavery and colonization to our lands. We shall not make the same mistakes now or in the future.

We need to wear our natural hairs and natural looks.

We need to write our own books and read them along with others. But ours must be the priority.

We need to educate ourselves and our children on the need to work together and build together.

We need the education and the re-education that will bring us glory.

We are AFRICANS.

Our stories and our existence go far beyond the origin of the Bible and Koran.

We owe it to ourselves to find out what went wrong.

I heard a brother asked: how did we fall to the foreign forces if our gods and ancestors were so powerful? It is a stupid question. It is like asking how the lizard got into your room despite the walls and windows. If you know how the lizard got into your room, you know the answer to your foolishness or carelessness.

We must with haste, re-educate everyone.

My generation may not achieve so much, but these things we write will help us and those coming after us to know that AFRICAN is the NUCLEUS of the world.

We need education and re-education.

This short essay does not say it all. I just wanted to wake you up. You’ve been sleeping since you were born.

Wake up and start your own re-education.

Start now!

aderounmu@gmail.com

Mugabe: När firandet kan vara fel

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Mugabe: När firandet kan vara fel (Previously posted in English language)

20171114_1316191957743002.jpg

av Adeola Aderounmu

Många observatörer både inom och utanför Afrika tycks ha firat störtandet av Mugabe som Zimbabwes president efter nära fyra årtionden vid makten. En sådan uppfattning är en skarp motsägelse till vad som erhölls på 1970 och 1980 talet då Mugabe agerade som hjälte för Zimbabwes självständighet.

Jag minns min reaktion när Mugabe röstades till makten för den sjätte gången år 2008. Då var han 84 år gammal och jag trodde hans pensionering var väntad, för honom att kunna vila upp sig och njuta av återstoden av sitt liv. Vid det tillfället drog jag slutsatsen att dåliga ledare, oavsett hur bra deras avsikter kan tyckas, är de som vägrar att träna eller handleda sina anhängare att ta sedan över efter dem.

Enligt min mening är Mugabes största misstag att inte ha värnat om ett fåtal unga män och kvinnor som kunde fört Zimbabwe framåt. Han var beredd att styra Zimbabwe fram till sin död, det är den enda förklaringen jag finner för en man som är 93 år gammal och inte pensionerad från offentlig service.

Det råder ingen tvekan om att Mugabe stannade för länge vid makten. Han blandade troligen ihop demokrati med monarki. I en demokrati är överföringen av makt oundviklig. De som kämpade vid sidan av Mugabe för ett självständigt Zimbabwe hade anledning att känna sig förolämpade när det blev uppenbart att Mugabe planerade överföringen av makt till sin fru. Några av dessa personer är nu politiker, om än gamla politiker, och vissa förblev i militären. De har nu säkerställt att makten togs över med våld från Mugabe, i hans gamla och hjälplösa ålder.

När den nuvarande maktstriden är avgjord, har Zimbabwes handläggare en del saker att klargöra och rätta till. Ett exempel är lagen som ger Mugabe makt att avskeda landets vice ordförande som bör återkallas genom lagstiftaren. Andra repressiva lagar i konstitutionen som är kapabla att omvandla revolutionerande, demokratiska ledare till tyranner bör avskaffas.

Zimbabwe och förvisso många andra länder i Afrika behöver granska sina politikers ämbetstider. Zimbabwe till exempel skulle troligen vuxit demokratiskt om det fanns en begränsning på antalet gånger en president kan väljas om. I länder där makten över ämbetstiden gör det till en nästan omöjlig uppgift att ändra makten genom trovärdiga val, blir begränsade mandatperioder ett motgift.

Det finns en allvarlig fara i om den använda metoden att driva bort Mugabe är firad. Användningen av militären för att korrigera politisk anomali borde inte firas eller hyllas någonstans i världen. Det förblir ett recept på våld och inbördeskrig. Det var fel att det militära alternativet var vad som togs till för att köra bort Mugabe och stoppa hans fru från att ta över makten. Valmöjligheten, som använder sig av trovärdiga omröstningar och godtagbara resultat, är alltid den bästa metoden.

Därför måste globala media presentera en balanserad rapport om situationen, oberoende av dess predisposition (kärlek eller hat) mot Mugabe. Det som hänt i Zimbabwe handlar inte bara om personen Mugabe eller hans hunger efter makt utan även om välfärden och välbefinnandet hos folket i Zimbabwe, hemma och utomlands.

Lärdomarna från Zimbabwe borde återigen öppna våra ögon om demokratins brister i vissa delar av världen och dessa lärdomar borde vara behjälpliga för diverse institutioner som främjar av inte bara demokrati men även medborgerliga rättigheter för alla människor globalt.

aderounmu@gmail.com

Footnote:

Mugabe resigned today 21st of November 2017 after 37 years in power.

13 Years A Prisoner

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I cannot actually overemphasize that the case of Isaak Dawit is an embarrassment to the human race. Isaias Afewerki cannot be above all of humanity unless we have all gone crazy.

13 Years A Prisoner

Isaak Dawit

Isaak Dawit

By Adeola Aderounmu

Isaak Dawit has been in jail in Eritrea since September 23 2001. He was born in the same country on the 27th of October 1964. He is now 50 years old, with one-fourth of his life spent in jail.

Isaak Dawit fled the war in Eritrea in 1987 and lived in Sweden. He became a Swedish citizen in 1992 but he also held on to his Eritrean citizenship.

When Eritrea became independent Isaak Dawit returned to Eritrea to work as a journalist.

He may have written stories or articles that the dictator Isaias Afewerki found threatening to his one-party state. He may have associated with groups seeking to ensure that the rights of the people are respected and sustained in a new emerging country.

But he was on the other side of the court as Mr. Afewerki, so he was arrested and imprisoned.

Isaak Dawit has not been brought to a court of law. No charges have been brought against him. It is not on any record that Isaak has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Why is he sitting in prison for more than 13 years?

The worst tragedies in the world are not only hideous; they have also proven to be mostly unspoken of.

How can the rest of humanity look away when a man is locked up for 13 years? Have we no compassion for his family and children?

Since independence in 1993, Eritrea has been held in captive and extreme bondage by one man, a dictator called Isaias Afewerki.

In plain terms Mr. Isaias Afewerki told the world to go to “hell”, that he would do whatever he likes with Isaak. The question is, in the absence of a proof of life, “what has he actually done with Isaak Dawit?

Few years ago, Isaak went missing from his cell prompting fears about his whereabouts and an unconfirmed story that he was dead.

Many of the people arrested alongside with Isaak Dawit are dead or have been killed. The fears are genuine but lack of official comment keeps the hope of Dawit’s existence burning till today.

One of Isak’s daughters Ms. Bethlehem spoke recently and expresses optimism that her father is alive. It is this optimism and hope that should be given impetus now.

The Swedish government adopted the so-called silent diplomacy in the case of Isaak Dawit and it has been a total catastrophe so far. It remains futile.

Individuals, groups and organizations have demonstrated and lent their voices to the campaign to free Isaak. All have proven to be ineffective.

What has been done outside of Eritrea is probably not reaching Eritreans at home in terms of awareness.

Sadly too the chant to free Isaak Dawit will not be echoed in Eritrea.

The country is locked down by one man. Eritrea is closed to the rest of the world because there are no independent news media in the country.

Eritreans are not free. They need help!

While I do not support interference with the sovereignty of any nation, the case of Isaak Dawit brings me to a point of compromise. The utterances of Isaias Afewerki even on Swedish television left no one in doubt that there is a lunatic in power in Eritrea.

The campaign for the freedom of Isaak Dawit must take up a new dimension outside of Eritrea. The pressure should then be taken inside to free the people of Eritrea.

Every country deserves independent press and the people deserve freedom of speech and association.

The table needs to be turn around. The campaign slogans should move from free Dawit to:

“Free Eritreans”

“Arrest And Prosecute Isaias Afewerki Now”

Eritreans abroad must come together on this one. This is their fight.

They need to bring the rest of the world to the awareness of the sufferings and demeaning of their lives within and outside the boundary of Eritrea by Isaias Afewerki.

There should be no limit to the amount of pressure that should be applied on this wicked and heartless dictator.

After putting away a journalist for 13 years without trial, the world should NEVER let Isaias Afewerki have a moment of rest. This much Eritreans owe Isaak Dawit.

Isaias Afewerki holds all of Eritrea in bondage in a one-party state. He has no regards for the people of Eritrea.

Who does he think he is?

If he has killed Isaak Dawit, the people should rise and sack him by force. They also need to demand his arrest and prosecution.

If Isaak Dawit is alive, he should be released without further delay.

Isaias Afewerki cannot be above all of humanity unless we have all gone crazy.

What is the priority of the Swedish government in foreign diplomacy?

What is wrong with Sweden?

Only foolish people repeat stupid history. Raoul Wallenberg never returned to Sweden, he was never found. Now it is Isaak Dawit. Does this story line sound too familiar?

If finding Isaak Dawit means bringing down the Eritrean dictatorship so be it.

Isaak’s mother died in 2010 asking the question: why did they take my son away from me?

His children are grown, still growing, denied of the company of their loving father because of one stupid dictator in the horn of Africa.

In the end this is a shame not only to Sweden, but also to Europe and the world as a whole. We all stood by and watch like spectators and let one lunatic send another man to jail for 13 years without trial.

I cannot actually overemphasize that the case of Isaak Dawit is an embarrassment to the human race.

With all our claim of civility, social justice and freedom, we let one man (and definitely many other men and women) rot in prison for several years without trials and we look the other way.

aderounmu@gmail.com