MY COUNTERFACTUALS

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without what you currently have? Some have argued that it is a futile attempt to imagine what is not since it doesn’t exist. You will at best fall into the extremities of fantasizing because of course your imaginations will be highly subjective and without the objectivity of natural occurrence. However, it will be deceptive to assume that most of us do not imagine what the other side of our lives will be like. Questions such as where would we be, if we weren’t born to our parents? Or what would we be like if we were born poor? What will I be like without my religious beliefs? Awkward still we imagine what we would be like if we were the other sex. No matter how sophisticated your thought processes, I believe you sometimes romance the idea of your counterfactuals. I daresay that there is nothing unhealthy about imagining your unknown side because your thoughts matter in the entire process. If your outcome today is a product of your thinking patterns, then your imaginations will not be far from revealing what your other side would have become even in the absence of certain influences.

I show you three areas of my life where I have totally battered my imaginations on the counterfactual. The first is my family, the second in my social status, and the third in my sex. I still have other aspects I often snack on, but these three dominate the thought series. And I give you my take on each part of the mental tripod. Certain information is not palatable for social discourse, so I will be discrete about them, other are plain riotous, and some are heinous. Yes, believe me, they are heinous and hideous. Mock me not oh my contemporaries, for in this profession I remain the least qualified. For thou my reader art excellent above all in this matter and art resplendent with the glories of vanity just like I thine little brother. I proceed…

I sometimes imagine what my life is like if I weren’t born to my parents; my father and mother, and all who stood as guardians. I imagined what language I will be speaking and what kind of character I would exude. Considering what my known background is, I sort of always imagined that I will be an absolutely unrefined animal lacking a pleasant outlook and respect for the common good. Without the discipline knocked into my head by my mum, I see myself as going totally bananas. Confessing, I have picked-pin (some of you have no idea what this means…standing on one feet and bending over with one finger touching the ground)and also knelt down with my hands up in the air all in a bid to get my product out this way. Not saying that it was what conformed me to my present image, but it sure did play a part in my knowing how serious my mother was at getting me straight. My imaginations in this regard doesn’t evoke anything positive, because I feel I am manipulative enough to have deserved the kind of ‘unmanipulative’ parent I had. My counterfactual to me would have been parent that I will sell their brains to earn myself a position in the delinquency hall of fame.

Now to my social class, which is about being rich or poor. I know being rich is a relative term, but for purposes of this discourse, you know what I mean: rich as in rich. Supposing I was born richhhhhhhh? That is richer than how I was actually born. This is what my imagination says my counterfactual would be. First I would be the most humble man on earth. I have tried to laugh it off as my actual good side influencing what my imagination produces. But believe me, I still cannot imagine how money will bloat me up (I expect to be crucified for this…no props). I have tried acting puffed up, lording over people, being oppressive, or even being callous. I just don’t succeed at that enterprise. How this I am confident of, that I will be the most sleek man on earth, my skin will glow with the like a cool shaded amber and feel velvety. I will wear customized shirts and drive customized cars. I will have a simple outlook, but smell of unattained quality. The sweet part is that I will be the greatest philanthropist in the world. I will ban poverty from the whole world and make everyone rich. I will buy my way into global influence and dictate the outcome of global politics. I will……. let me just stop there, before someone else steals my counter facts.

To complete my mental triangulation, I put on my skirt and brassiere. Beyonce sang her own counterfactual: “If I were a boy”, and symphonized on how a girl would want to be treated by a guy. But I am in no mood for a melody, as my first duty will be to create a powerful female movement responsible for cutting of that thing that has made maledom hold sway over a concept meant to be beautiful: relationships. Then we will begin to redistribute it to those males that pass our examinations based on the new definitions of manhood….ha ha ha….sound hideous uhn? But that is what I see the female me doing. On the other hand, I will so be the best woman on the face of the earth that I will give no reason for the existence of sexual exploitation, segregation, or discrimination. I will also be the best wife and most submissive to my husband, yet retaining my intelligence and building a great family and societal influence. The rest you don’t want to know.

The other aspects of my counterfactual I cannot discuss here, because I will stir the hornets’ nest and get my present fans to question my real self….lol. But I just want to let you all know that I am still under construction and not by any means near the perfect idea of a man. But I still do entertain crazy thoughts in my head and admittedly, some are just my subtle reaction to the present things I don’t like, and others are just a revelation to myself that I still have an evil nature to curb, and others are simply a reflection of the altruistic me I w ant to attain. A mixture of all these should give one a confused definition of reality. But I am eternally grateful that I am here now and me now. For what I am not, I do not cry about but work towards, being mindful of what morphing evil tendencies I may possess. The real truth is I am still amazing myself each day I live, for I am yet to think through what I can fully become outside what I presently am. I really need help.

Obama: Historic or Symbolic?

Just a simple muse…

As I lay on the couch watching the series of events culminating in the oath taking of the new President of the United States, I flipped my mind over and over on what are the implications of this moment. Many claim that the labour of the past American heroes are now evidently not in vain, and dream of the martyr of freedom is now fully on course. Some frankly noted that along with the emotions and euphoria of an ecstatic event comes also the instructions for what lies ahead. These two married positions create a full picture of what perfect blend Obama’s day has sparked in the minds of all, despite many opposing viewpoints. I lay there caught up with the same reflections and inflections of a series of fortunate events to have befallen one man, from which today all men on the globe feed upon to cast a new plot to history and symbolisms.

Now I keep asking my self, which has a greater effect on the people. Is it the history making of the moment, or the symbolic nature of the moment that has a greater power? History reminds us of where we are coming from and sort of tells us where we are going to or ought to be going. Symbolism on the other hand captures the essence of the now, the discourse going on in the public cranium, and the effect on the events on the person. So the meditations of my heart are on the struggle between the history and the symbolism of Obama’s success today. Is ‘Obamaism’ historic or symbolic? 

I am concerned because of the different outcomes which history and symbols present us, and the effects which they play out through the responses provoked from people. While history gives us something to write and talk about, symbols give us something to act out. As I watch the young single mother and her little kid lighted up and inspired by the moment, I can feel the their intense passion to carve out a new life without recourse to the past injustices of the society. History has only given them more reasons to cry and lumber on with great desperation, but symbols have urged them with a stoking fire of inner power to lay aside the weight that easily besets and fight on for a better life. For those who recorded Martin Luther’s speech as a historic moment, they are still caught up with the issues he fought for. But for those who were drawn to the symbols of his message, they have been strengthened to alter the course of a nations history. 

Have you ever walked into a place before and something about the environment changes your attitude, without an effort? You probably have heard of the place before, but nothing changed you like being there. That is the power of symbolism. History is a story that speaks, while symbols are a emblems that influences. So to those who are inspired by the history of this time, I urge you to move from there to what the times actually mean. Look not to the words but the pictures formed by these series of cascading moments. The greatest changes in our lives have not come from a flow of events, but from what those events meant to us. So also the power of this time lies in its power to shatter mindsets and transform perspectives from bitter strongholds to sweet possibilities. 

To those who had an excuse, there suddenly is none. To those who felt weary, there is a surge of energy. To those in darkness, there arises great light. And to those caught in the tyranny of time, there presents a great door of escape. No longer are the great models for our children Entertainment Celebrities and Athletes, but a bold new definition of service and sacrifice. Suddenly we have transited from the superficial to the substantive, from the fleeting to the gripping, and from the foolish to the profound. This is the power of the symbolic nature of this moment. Evey one has something to draw from this and no one is left out. Therefore it is way beyond history, for history only tells the story from skewed spectacles. This is a symbolic moment, for its consequences are etched on every heart, and it subtly influences our very existence. But I dare say also that is also a ‘historically symbolic’ moment. I take my bite from this slice of time.

NIGERIA: POLITICS OR POLICY

I keep asking myself the question of what informs decisions in the Nigerian leadership. Is it policy or politics? Policy obviously is rooted in an objective assessment of needs, adequately matched with existing resources to enforce changes that guarantee general welfare with minimal negative externalities. Politics on the other hand is a subject hijacked by personal or group interpretations of what and how public policy should be shaped. It’s result is usually a satisfaction of a given interest with minimum positive externalities to the welfare of the country. Time has always revealed the trajectories of politics and its implication for an evolving system like Nigeria and of all time with the examples of the last administration, we have seen how an entire nation can be systematically manipulated by the political hubris of a highly opinionated few with no substantiated national plan of action. Now we are at the verge of being subjected to another jungle system of decision making that makes our beloved country a blatant mockery in the international system.

It is very interesting how the leadership of Nigeria has just picked certain Ministers at the same time when the revered President Elect of the US is making his cabinet choices. I cannot but juxtapose the two events and compare the quality of choices made by both leaders. I will not get into the nitty gritty of the process, because the output tells the input and processes that go into decision making. The day you see mango fruits growing on on a tree with orange leaves, then there should be much concerns. But till when we see such a tweak, you only know a tree by the fruit it bears, and the choices we have seen in this Nigerian cabinet, tells us of the quality of thinking that went into the mechanism of selecting the cabinet. While I am in no way castigating the government for the quality of its choices, as I believe they must be capable in one form or the other, I want to strongly raise an issue regarding the appointment of Dora Akunyili as Minister for Information and Communications.

When I look through Obama’s choices for his cabinet members, I rarely can find an overt political influence in those selected. These men are proven and certified leaders in the field they have been chosen to operate in. Consider his choice of Steven Chu, a respected Nobel prize winner in Physics, to be his Energy Secretary. Doesn’t that tell you of his sincerity to move that aspect of his economy forward. Behold Dora! Catapulted from Keeping our Drugs and Food safe to being the spokesperson and image launderer for the country. The whole world knew of Dora when she served in assigned duty successfully, backed with a thorough understanding of what her assignment was, being a Pharmacist. Now we have carried a Pharmacist and given her the role of a Public Relations expert and we expect that she will function with the exact creativity and innovation she dispersed in her former dominion? Absolutely foolhardy. While I do not doubt her intelligence and ability to adapt to any role she is assigned, I dare to say that we have shortchanged our national destiny by denying her the role of the Minister of Health. 

Today the Nigerian Union of Journalists rejected the appointment of the poor woman claiming that it is a show of “the usual disdain with which politicians perceive the media.” I am expecting the National Assembly of Nigeria to turn down this appointment and the other mismatches and do the right thing, based on the recommendations of well meaning citizens. In the 21st century we are still plugging in round in round pegs in square holes and hoping the round peg will assume the shape of its host. Ridiculous! In any case, I expect Dora herself to be sensible and be wise by turning down anything that will take the shine of her escutcheon. She has a worthy example in Okonjo-Iweala who threw in her towel after the Obasanjo administration tried to frustrate her by flinging her into the External Affairs Ministry. 

Dora is not the only one ohhh!! Let me show you a few more. Shettima Mustapha, an Agronomist is made Minister of Defence. To do what, grow Missiles? Nuhu Somo Way, an Architect now Minister of State for Power. To do what, design Power Plants? Ibrahim Bio, a trained Pharmacist is Minister of State for Transport. To do what, prescribe drugs to out vehicles? I am feeling tired already going through all this. When is our country going to put aside politics and let policy be the reason for taking decisions. Our institutions are failing for lack of effective leadership to steer the wheels. We all saw what this can produce when Dora did what she knows best. We saw what Duke did with tourism, yet we don’t know if the man with the most ambitious tourism project, for which he was largely successful, was ever contacted to handle the Tourism Ministry. We are tired of being used as experimental pigs in the laboratory of party crassness. I remain of the opinion that we need to unclothe Nigeria, give her a thorough bath before we choose what to clothe her with. As for some of these present national designers, they have run out of ideas, if they ever had one.

And come to think of it. The office of Information and Communication requires that the holder possess some level of oratory finesse and diplomacy in conversation. I have heard Dora speak and reason and admire her intelligence, but for the above….. all I can say is… hmmmmmmm!!!

WHAT I LEARNT FROM MY FATHER

I didn’t grow up with my father most of my youth. This was a plus and also a minus in its own way. Constructing my world view from the protective arms of my mother did create a series of didactic thought processes in me, one of which is instant judgment. This was in direct contradiction to my dad who had a knack for delayed judgment. Here I was sandwiched between the impulsiveness of a entrepreneurial woman, and the pragmatism of a legal analyst… and I was supposed to make safe sense out of life, and carve out a personality through which I could interface with my world. I could imagine the genes floating around me and struggling for relevance and dominance, an I wished I could scan them thoroughly and choose which is vital to success and every point in time. Impacting on me was also the presence of an older cousin and an older brother both of whom I read inside out and saw where to and where not to go and what to and what not to say… (although I did taste the waters sometimes and admittedly, some were sweet with a bitter after taste). My childhood was filled with inner deliberations and attempts at creating what was to be called my world, and also the possibilities of recruiting humans into my predefined parameters of living.

My dad however, far he always was, seemed to be my balancing factor; more like an exogenous treatment to the experiment I was conducting. I sometime wanted to beef him for being so far, but again his absence increased his worth to me and every time I saw him his words were laden with depth that I so longed to hear each day. I said to myself when he was around: “this is my start point, not my end point”. To me he knew everything and faltered in none. He approached every issue with maximum attention inputing highly cerebral calculations to the unknown to arrive at rationality and common sense. I was awestruck each time he spoke and knew then that I wouldn’t outgrow this man because I let every word sink in like a boulder in a calm stream, assuming a significant space in my mind. Even when my days of rebellion came, I still trod softly because I couldn’t deny the markings of his grip on me.

I here forthwith want to share seven vital lessons I learned from my father. Some of them he said verbatim to me, while some I drew out of his parabolic nature and I can’t get over the effect they have had on me. Through him I learned to understand what a man says and what the man did not say. Because every word spoken has implications for what it is and what it isn’t. Therefore when he spoke I understood, but when he didn’t speak, I even understood more. These seven lessons are more than the material wealth he left behind for his children and I wish he could have willed even more of his mind to me. I proceed with careful assertion to retain and preserve the originality of his mind communicated in this discourse.

1. Absolute fear for nothing. This was my baptism into boldness. As most of my friends know, I proceeded from there into the realms of stupid arrogance and at worse I described myself as a jingoist of self confidence. The older I grew the more I came to understand from my conversation with him, that absolute fearlessness ended in God. He said to me in Efik: “Eyen kpono Abasi!!”", meaning – son, revere God!!!. For a man who feared nothing to ask me in his old age to fear God, trust me, I need not much further counsel. He showed me that nothing is as it appears. Only God is true to his form. Every other thing has a form which it takes on to create respect in others, and for which I must learn to see beyond what they appear to be. It was when I knew this that my ‘baloonish’ pride was pricked and I sheathed my arrogance to take on stronger challenges rather than personalities.

2. Circumspection. Applied as being prudent and cautious in every facet of life. This warning to me arose because of my tendency for extreme passion in whatever I lay my hands to do. He saw this in me and chided me for a blind characterization of what I then called faith. Initially I branded him a persecutor and a Pharisee, but as I negotiated the corners of life and reflected more on the essence of the Almighty in my life, I found a pillow in his counsel and knew for sure that for everything I think I know, therein lies the claim that I do not know. Hence, whatever lies in my hands to do execute, I always learn to flip the other side and my perspective will dramatically take a turn and my understanding becomes better. Circumspection is one of the trailing residues of wise initiatives.

3. Discretion is the better part of Valour. Hmmm…in this case, I couldn’t agree more as I saw many mighty men fall not for failing power, but for a lack of discretion. While valour accounts for a tenth of an accomplishment, the 90% success rate is determined by discretion. Discretion is the trait of judging wisely and objectively, and also learning to put aside what your perceived strengths are and allowing the seeming weaker parts have a say in your goings. He said to me Reginald, “Discretion distinguishes Kings and their subjects, for every time you follow its path, you sit at the Kings’ table.” “Mere men rely on energy, that’s why they must eat all the time and feed their lusts and ambitions to protect a future that is not subject to their preferences and references, and while doing this, they inflict much pain of themselves, their children and society.” Amazing lines of thought did I pluck from his mental plantation. Today and ever so true, I cannot recover from how much these words have guided me and given me an edge over my adversaries.

4. History repeats itself because we are all fools. I learnt from him that the mistakes we see men make, is a pointer to their ignorance of history. History is the hidden stories that are cocooned by time to be hidden from fools, but to be cracked by the wise for the security of their of their generations. As he admonishes me to fear God, he still yells to me “Look at history!!!!” Everything repeats itself, but clothed in the intricacies of the present time. This is why you must have a sense of delayed judgment, for time reveals more of a matter and with such you can skip the hurdles of erroneous choices. He said once to me, “if you make my mistakes, then you are a fool.” That line resounded continuously in my head like a clashing cymbal and today I draw lessons not just from the past, but from the happenings of today, because they will be the references of tomorrow either for sorrow, or for victory.

5. What you live in others, outlives you. I saw in my father a man absolutely committed to the well being of every one around him. He listened to everyone and advised anyone who cared to listen. He spoke his heart out and went the extra mile to satisfy the need of those who were needy. I saw that largeness of heart is a rare gift which one is born with, however can be cultivated when you have respect unto the existence of others. I saw how frustrated he was when he knew something was beyond his power to change and how active he was when he could do something about it. I saw him argue to help people correct their perspective about life hoping they wouldn’t leave his presence the same way they came in. He did all he can, with what he had and the influence he could muster to alter the course of failure for a person. I remember when I was not doing well in my secondary school classes, he saw me and said to me you are more than this. He never said another word about it. That was was too hot for me to handle. I slapped myself back to reality and jerked my mind to life. He left something in me no doubt.

6. Ambidextrous. This describes individuals who are equally capable of performing tasks with the right or left side of their bodies. He was a soccer fan and a left winger himself in his younger days. He could play with both legs and write with both hands comfortably. His writing with both hands was particularly striking to me. I remember when I decided that I was going to practice writing with my left hand. I wouldn’t say how successful I did, but I will say that beyond the practical reality of his capability, was what this meant to me. He was both logical and poetic, mechanical and artistic; a microcosm of the human personality. I am too confident that it is possible to be ambidextrous in life, leaving no area of frailty. A total man, loving and taming, cultivating and uprooting, stroking and striking, being something in everything to everything while lacking in no faculty in life.

7. Stay strong till you die. A few days before he died, he was still encouraging me that everything will be just fine, displaying high self worth and self confidence, even when at the mercy of the doctors. His voice showed no signs of an ending life, as he still spoke of what work he has to do. He remained relevant to life, thinking through solutions he wanted to see through for his people and how he wanted to empower them with education. His bones, mind and spirit were sound and without injury, telling me how excited he was at Obama’s victory and wishing he could shake the young man’s hand. A few days before he went home, we were still discussing a book he was reading on the emergence of India and China in global economics, and sharing with me the trajectory which he thinks international productive processes will take. He lived till he died. He didn’t wither nor wane, falter or fumble, he simply stayed the course and finished strong. I must finish strong.

I now understand why some people do not die, they simply transit from one plane to another. My father didn’t die, he simply emptied himself of the matters of this plane, and assumed another dimension of relevance. Therefore, I say to myself that where his feet didn’t tread, mine will. Who his hands didn’t touch, mine will. Where his voice wasn’t heard, mine will. What his eyes couldn’t see, mine will. What he couldn’t comprehend, I will. Where he didn’t sit I will, and where he couldn’t stand, I will. For I choose this day to be the extension of your life, to repaint and recolour the paragon you intended, and to give a true definition to the legacy you attempted to build. For now I understand that some plant, others water, But God is ever ready to give and increase. I am am your waterer.

To my mentor and my instructor…..keep living!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING BARACK?

I believe that critical decisions require critical thinking, which entails weighing all the alternatives carefully to make the most rational choices. The task faced by Obama at the moment requires no less as his choices will make or break the outlook of his administration. He must be sure that whoever joins the change train must be a clearly assessed factor through a thorough cost-benefit analysis, considering the larger vision of his leadership. Rationality in this case does not imply a political context, for we so easily assume that it is a requirement to fulfill national agendas. But in this wise, it represents a commonsensical approach to leadership selection considering the broader implications of America’s role in the global political and economic sphere. It is within this framework that President-elect Obama must operate from.

As an International politics commentator, I understand that it is the internal politics that determines the global effect a country has. But nowadays, it has become obvious that image is everything. What face people see representing the US is the character that they will define it by. Everyone tends to characterize Iran by the braggadocious Ahmadinejad, Russia by the thuggish Putin, and France by the boyish Sarkozy. Image matters a lot and international relations pundit will point quickly to why who trots the globe representing your interest is capable of raising the bar of your respect, or lowering the value states place on your presence. While Henry Kissinger was respected for his global influence and his diplomatic dance of shuttle diplomacy, Donald Rumsfeld was seen as an international devil and brought a lot of global disdain to the form of American politics. Madeline Albright and Condoleezza Rice did bring a more humane dimension to American foreign affairs. However, it seems to me that the Obama campaign is about to make the same mistakes the past administrations had made in selecting women as the Secretaries of State.

Let’s be frank here, this thing is not a textbook issue, it is a lot more about practical reality on how the world works. When selecting a woman as for this kind of positions, Obama will risk one major thing, others I may not be too informed to talk about. If he believes that he wants to bring even the most hardened states to a table of discussion and deliberation, he must know how some states function. The Middle-Eastern and more hard-line states have a problem with negotiating with women. This is because in those societies, women still function in subservient roles no matter their qualifications. You really think a man like Ahmadinejad will sit down with Hillary Clinton to discuss? Let’s not be deceived at this time, the world is still evolving and when such proud men who dominate and trouble the global system come to the rounds of talks, they carry their ego along with them and dump all forms of civility. Could one imagine that Putin will be telling Sarkozy that he will hangs Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia by the balls? That kind of use of coarse imagery by certain leaders shows how nasty the system has degenerated into. Obama will need a man who will stand shoulder to shoulder and eye to eye to throw down the gauntlet of tough diplomacy.

I feel funny talking about this because I am already being nailed to the cross for the sin of sexism. Although I do not see any other person as progressive as I am in noting that women should become the worlds administrators since they manage better, but I cannot help but state this point clearly. Obama’s choice may very well organize the funeral service for his foreign policy even before it is birthed. And let’s not forget that the whole world watch the spin of the campaigns over the past year. Clinton has been repeatedly quoted for criticizing Obama’s willingness to engage so called rogue nations (whoever defines them as so) in talks and has also stated that she will not sit down with certain people. How then will Obama get her to go against her own foreign policy disposition? Brother Barack needs a rethink on this issue if he really is thinking of offering her this job. Hillary no doubt is qualified and well traveled, but on this matter, she trails the likes of John Kerry (who also speaks fluent French) and Bill Richardson. 

There is no big cake for big shots in a government of change. Change indicates a depart from the norm and a reinventing of rationale. If this is really about change, then Obama will certainly see that Hillary had a special heart for Health Care in the US. I believe strongly that if he places her as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Hillary will work her heart out and give value to the lives of Americans. So Barack what are you doing? We are trusting you to do the right and the right you must do with the abundant political and social capital at your disposal. Peace Bro.