Helen (Not-of-Troy): A Collection of Poems

Reviewer: Nwachukwu Egbunike

Mark Nwagwu/BookBuilders.Edition Africa/2009

Helen (not-of-Troy) a collection of poems by Marcus (not-of-Aurelius) contains lyrical love songs with a similar theme – but devoid of the tragedy – of Romeo and Juliet. The poet sets the contemplative rhythm of these verses to his wife, when he admits in the dedication that Helen’s “eye led me to poetry”.

Poetry has always been accused of being exclusive. The level of appreciation of most poems usually depends on the culture of the reader. Matters get worse when the poet clings to the “thou, art,” old Shakespearian English. The abhorrence by many cannot be separated from the fluidity of words, which like waves can carouse but also intimidate.

Some scholars insist that the redundancy of poetry has consigned it to the realm of events. For instance, a poem was composed and recited during Barrack Obama’s inauguration as the President of the United States. The greater majority enjoy straight prose. They also claim that due to poetry’s unpopularity as a genre of literature, it is gradually dying out. In its place, other popular cultural artifacts like prose, popular music and videos (Nollywood) have totally saturated the world of discourse.

Nonetheless, Nwagwu has shown that poems needs not be complicated in other to be posh. At the same time simplicity is no excuse for superficiality. Waving words into rhymes, the poet sings, amplifies and transmits his love to Helen, his wife of 47 years. Helen (not-of-Troy) is his gift to Helen, on her descent from her professorial chair in the University of Ibadan.

In the first part “of Helen”, Nwagwu falls flaunts his love. The poet employs a transliteration of an Igbo saying, “My people say/to someone they love/I see you in my eyes (afulum gi n’anya). He narrates their family history in “fate leave shoreless sea,” deftly sandwiching the names of their children between the lines. For instance, “all those years from ugochi in Swedish the first cry of erik connecticut storrs…” Also notes their professional paths – for Helen “graduated brock in clinical psyche” while Mark “rose in learning molecules.” The poet incenses Helen’s toes in a “toe to kiss”, remembers his proposal in “will you marry me,” is enthralled by her “innocent eyes” and goes amok with “the way you move”. “How can I be cold” queries Mark? “If touching you” “give me a new heart.” I was almost beginning to think that the poet was infatuated until I read that “love never says enough.”

In the third part “of the spirit” the poet exposes the transcendental dimension of his thoughts. He narrates what mirrors an accident survived in “last breath” and later taunts hell in “please let me in.” I was beguiled reading the short but punchy description of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem in “riding on a donkey” and Christmas in “a little babe kept warm.” The shortest nativity story I have read so far remains “and warmth was born.”

However, I saw no reason for Part 2 “of the soul” because it could have easily fitted into Part 4 “and random thoughts.” For in both, the poet speaks of every other thing except his Helen and his matters of the spirit. Nonetheless, I cannot fail to commend the editor and the publishers for a thorough work. I tried in vain to pick errors but was disappointed, as I found none. The font style and illustrations used blends with the romantic nuance of the poems.

In Helen (not-of-Troy), Mark Nwagwu flew to the heights of contemplation by gazing at the eyes, feet and soul of Helen. Well scripted, simple but yet sublime. Cannot but agree with William Shakespeare that “when love speaks, the voice of the gods makes heaven drowsy with harmony.”

In Defence of Parliamentary Pension

Nwachukwu Egbunike

Members of the National Assembly want a pension for their tedious service to our country. This to my view should be treated with the urgency it deserves. After all, if civil servants and other public officials – in spite of their low performance – should go receive emolument from the treasury after retirement, who should deny our undistinguished legislators of their right (democracy dividend).

It’s a national sacrifice to stand for elections into the National Assembly, to abandon one’s place of residence and move to Abuja is such a grave risk. Besides law making is no mean job and the rigours associated with it are immense. It no child’s play to pass a bill, carry out oversight functions, screen and confirm appointments for the executive. In addition, our family and pocket representatives have to cross the seas on legislative jamborees. If this is not enough to merit a pension, I wonder what else will suffice.

It is true that the legislative report card since 2007 was a dismal 5%, passing 15 bills out of a total of 284 bills that was presented to them. But we are all in a learning process, and Nigerians should not expect a miracle overnight. Besides the senate loudspeaker insists that they should be judged by the impact of the bills passed not the number. This means that even if one bill is passed per year, it is better than rushing many bills out of the legislative oven. In this case, the more is certainly not better.

Pension for our legislators will certainly go a long way in checking corruption. We are all witnesses to the impressive Democracy Day celebration of the National Assembly. The hunted halls of the chambers reverberated with the presence of some former disgraced and shameless principal officers. If there was pension, some of them would not have been dishonoured out of office. Asides, the chief whip would not have faced scourging that he got for misapplying funds meant for the democracy owambe. Poor fellow, if there was pension, he would have been more generous in dispensing the funds amongst his colleagues. Every undistinguished parliamentarian would have also choped and there would have been peace.

And pay no attention to the self acclaimed columnists and their verbal effusions. They can spill as much bile as they want, if it helps to reduce their blood pressure, well and good. Nonetheless, as dignified parliamentarians who deserve on the best, you cannot be distracted from your duty to the nation. Most of these journalists are not only afflicted with the “diarrhoea of the mouth” but are also chronic bad bele patients – beefers.

Let them squeal for all you care. Will this be the first time that ASUU will be going on strike? What does one expect from those hooligans parading as union activist? If they are angry that a parliamentarian earns more, they better abandon their professorial chairs and join politics. There is no power, and so what? The roads are not in good condition; these useless busybodies had better visit other African countries and compare their roads with ours. Which legislator can only focus on these developmental issues on an empty stomach or a bleak future? As a matter of fact, these issues only impress the urgency of having pension package for the dishonourable members.

Don’t mind them if they come up with the usual American or European models. We are certainly not oyibos. The National Assembly is on the verge of developing a home grown approach model of parliamentary procedures, a cardinal aspect of which includes pension for law makers. Bearing in mind the peculiar cultural terrine, one needs something to fall back upon. Besides the storm in the tropic, is usually unpredictable and violent.

I hope that the executive will treat this defence of parliamentary pension as a matter of national security. They should avoid the altercations that seem to characterise the relationship between both arms of government especially when money is involved. The pension for the un-honourable members of the National Hall of Shame should be passed with immediate effect!

BEYOND THE SARO-WIWA AND SHELL SETTLEMENT

Nwachukwu Egbunike

“If you shut up the truth and bury it underground, it will but grow and gather to itself such explosive power, that the day it burst through, it will blow up everything in its way.” – Emile Zola, French author (1840-1920)

Ken Saro-Wiwa

I could not find a more apt expression than that of Emile Zola, to portray the recent out of court settlement between the Nigerian subsidiary of Shell (the Anglo Dutch oil conglomerate) and the family of Ken Saro-Wiwa and others. Beyond the rhetoric’s of the $15.5 million paid as compensation to the Ogoni’s, this belated deal only reinforces that truth and justice can be suppressed but never silenced.

The scenario to this judgment, started way back before 1995, when Ken Saro-Wiwa and his companions were sent to their graves by Sani Abacha’s government. Ken dared tell truth to power. His crime was that he said no to the violation of Ogoniland, where the flora and fauna were flayed, where fish had disappeared from their meals because the water was save no longer. He shouted out that the very air that his people breathed was filled with fumes. Instead of correcting their grievances, Shell and Abacha elected to can them forever. Or so they thought.

While I don’t intend to canonise Ken, his tactics were criticised by some as being in most cases high handed. Some actually accused him of having the illusions of grandeur. Nonetheless, the situation in the Niger Delta (including Ogoni) limns the curse of oil. As much as the militancy in the delta has deviated from Ken’s ideals, so also has the inability of government to response to crisis, never have been so glaring. Had the Ogoni’s demand been addressed in years past, perhaps the government would have averted the war there.

It is not so intriguing that oil firms in Nigeria will stop at nothing to prevent exploration. “This giant produces desirable oil,” say Andy Rowel et al in The Next Gulf: London, Washington and Oil Conflict in Nigeria (2005: Constable). Other reasons why the West will stop at nothing (in connivance with the establishment) to ‘flush’ out any resistance in the delta are:

• “First, it is light (in terms of gravity), which means less refining.

• “Secondly, it is known within the industry as ‘sweet’ – its low sulphur content means it is highly desirable by Western refineries.

• “Thirdly, it is closer to the Middle East, to the hungry markets of Western Europe and America, and close to easy shipping lanes. A tanker takes three weeks to reach US from Nigeria, rather than eight weeks it takes from Saudi Arabia.” (Next Gulf: 2005, pg9)

Granted that no group should hold a state to ransom, nor should any government abdicate her responsibilities to anarchy. Nonetheless, violence always begets more violence. As much as I don’t subscribe to the criminal dispositions of Niger Delta militants (kidnapping of people or destroying oil installations), I doubt if a show of force will effect the change we all desire. Unfortunately, it is the voiceless – innocent men, women and children – that are the victims. The vested interests that sponsor and abate these militants will most certainly not be affected.

Besides, on what moral authority does the government hinge its attack on? If the so-called ‘criminals’ in the delta deserve some heat, what about the ‘pen-criminals’ in Abuja? When will government muster the courage to fight corruption within her fold? Or are politicians who rig elections – killing and injuring their fellow citizens in the process – not worse enemies of the state?

“I tell you this, I may be dead but my ideals will not die,” were Ken’s words in the book quoted above. The truth is that the delta crisis will not disappear overnight. It is like a chain reaction, which will only be terminated with concessions from all sides. The government should show more concrete and sincere intentions to develop the region. The deltans should also try to more flexible and accommodating in their demand. While the oil companies should uphold high standards, as they do in other countries, in the communities they operate. If not, I do not see this oil fire ever dying; it will continue to burn all that gets close to it.

The Past Remains in the Present

By Christopher John Akor

University of Ibadan

A thousand apologies to Professor Louis J. Munoz for using the title of his book, The Past in the Present: Towards a Rehabilitation of Tradition (Spectrum Books Ibadan, 2007) for this rejoinder. Munoz’s book title summarized by position after reading Levi Obijiofor’s , Living in the Present, Dying of the Past, which appeared in the Guardian (Friday, May 15, 2009). The piece was an attempt to demonstrate, using the educational sector as an example, how economic and other conditions in Nigeria have been in constant decline for the past 30 years. In doing that however, he chose to employ the old and now boring approach of ‘university bashing’ and the ‘my days were better’ approach.

Happily, most of these ‘old schools’ are leaving the scene and one would have expected the practice to stop. But alas, people like Obijiofor and so many others who represent the second or is it third generation of university graduates have decided to take over from the ‘old schools.’ I guess it would not be long before those who graduated in the 1990’s and early 2000’s (the worst period of university education in Nigeria) join in this practice which is fast becoming a favourite past time of many people, since in Nigeria, the past is always assumed to be better than the present.

Obijiofor attended the University of Lagos in the late 70’s and early 80’s and described life in the university then, quiet modestly as he claimed, as ‘golden’. But he may be surprised the ‘old schools’ may not agree with him. For most of them, the glory days of the universities were already lost by the time Obijiofor passed through the system. He explained that very good food was sold to them at a very cheap price of 50 kobo on Sundays. He needs to be reminded however that in the 50’s, 60’s, and early 70’s, meals were free. In fact, our old professors used to regal us with the story of how they went on rampage when the school authorities reduced the size of the chicken they gave to each student on Sunday by half. What was more, Obijiofor conceded that in his days, some lecture halls were actually “filled to excess capacity with students sitting on the floor and others standing outside the lecture halls…”Though he did not mention how many they were in a room or the living condition in the hostels, I would assume they were not too comfortable and the practice of squatting would be prevalent in his days in UNILAG.

By the standards of the ‘old schools’, this can never be ‘golden’ as Obijiofor want us to believe. It was an obvious sign of decline of the system. In the 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s, there was nothing like congestions in classrooms. Accommodation was one per room. They also enjoyed laundry and room–cleaning services and had porters at their beck and call – all for free. Enough of the ‘old schools’ and their ‘glory years’.

I also think, going by Obijiofor’s descriptions, and quite unlike the ‘university bashers’, that the present university system, at least the one I attended (University of Ibadan from 2004 – 2008), is far better than that of the past (at least of the 80’s and 90’s). Let us make comparisons. In the past, there was the problem of student population explosion and the consequent strain on facilities. Then, two man rooms were occupied by an upwards of 10 students. Also because of the constant strikes and dispute between government and ASUU, students take longer time to graduate. What was more, facilities were in total decay no thanks to the neglect of the system by the military. But these could not be said of the University of Ibadan today. Student population explosion has been controlled by a deliberate policy of not admitting more than 3,500 students each year.

Classes are never congested and to add to our comfort, most of the classes are fitted with air conditioners, plush seats and white marker boards. Even, many lectures are now delivered with projectors. I can not remember seeing any lecturer carrying chalks about. The hostels are also well maintained so that it is now even more convenient to live in hostels than rent a room outside. In UI today, there are one-man, two-man, three-man and at most, four-man rooms. Squatting is an illegal offence that may lead to rustication. This cannot be said of Obijiofor’s days.

Talking about food, UI also offers good food at cheap prices, say for N100. In fact, in my days, you could eat with N40 or N50: three wraps of fufu goes for N30 with N10 or N20 fish or meat. As for the luxury of ice cream and coffee, we have since learnt to do without that.

More importantly, we had one of the best concentration of teaching staff with some departments boasting of an upwards of 15 professors. We were well thought and except for people like Obijiofor, I do not know what a hand-out means because we were given none, and in most cases, not even class notes. The lecturer ‘lectures’ and it is our business to read up what was taught and make further researches. I count it a great privilege to be taught by great academics like Professors A.A.B. Agbaje, Eghosa Osaghae, Alex Gboyega, Fred Onyeoziri, John Ayoade, Rotimi Suberu, O.B.C. Nwolise, Bayo Okanade, and countless others who were clearly the very best in their fields. How could one accuse these lecturers of giving us hand-outs? Class lectures were not all. We had a rich tradition of organising seminars, debates, colloquia, public lectures, symposia, etc where we meet and interact with great minds both within and outside the country. How would Obijiofor claim we did not receive good education?

Admitted that access to new books and current journals are now limited. But in UI, there can be no shortage of relevant materials to consult. To solve the problem, faculties, departments, units, institutes now have their own libraries and these, I must confess, are well stocked and attract students and scholars from all over the country and beyond. Beyond that however, we had something Obijiofor never had in his days – computers and internet technology which has revolutionalised learning so that from the comfort of one’s room, one could access virtually any information he/she requires. I give example. When my project supervisor and I agreed on a topic to write on, I had thought it would be difficult to come by relevant materials since it is a field (police research) that most Nigeria academics spurn. However, thanks to the internet and several online journals, I had difficulty sorting through the mass of research materials I gathered.

Finally, modern day students face far greater challenges, manage far greater information and are expected to learn far greater things than students of previous generation. For instance, during Obijiofor’s day, it was the GPA system of grading that was in use. Then a student could afford to play for the most part of his/her years in school and get serious at the later stage and still make a First Class. Now with the CGPA system, this is impossible. A slip even in one’s first semester in year one can end one’s ambition of graduating with a First Class no matter how serious he/she later becomes. What is more, a check on the curricula and course outlines in use during Obijiofor’s days would make one laugh at the sheer shallowness of the contents. So instead of proving to us that his days were better, Obijiofor could well channel his energies towards looking for solutions to country’s educational problems.

Mr. Akor is a youth corps member, serving in Igbinedion University, Okada.

10 Years of Civilian Interregnum

Mr Yar'Adua, President of Nigeria

Nwachukwu Egbunike

“Injustice- I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making him carry me. And yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him; and I wish to ease his lot by all possible means – except by getting off his back”. – Leo Tolostoy (1828-1910) in “What Then Must We Do?”

Civilian rule, particularly the type currently practiced in Nigeria, is a government of some people, by some people and for some people. It will be a crude joke to imply that we have a democracy. For in appearance, it looks like one but in fact it is just a transition from military dictatorship to civilian rule.

For a decade, the principal right of Nigerians to duly elect their leaders have been denied. Each successive election has been a progressive deteriorating ulcer, with the courts giving palliative care from time to time. Until Nigerians can choose their leaders through the ballot box, we’ll continue to have this civilian interregnum. Our country seems to have earned itself a pride of place by redefining the theories of power. Nigerian politicians have added a middle phase, which is neither pure dictatorial tyranny nor democratic governance.

In addition, we have a very biased electoral body, which is intently an agency of the Peoples Democratic Party. Going by the extent and large scale wuruwuru, INEC, is determined to defend the impossible. Besides, the pharmacist will remain untouchable and the electoral reform, an appetizer in our quest for true democracy.

I was rather disappointed with this year’s Democracy Day Celebrations. There was no cake cutting. In the past, the principal officers of the three arms of government, assisted by the chief of the most chaotic party in Africa usually gathered to literally cut the ‘national cake’. I have no illusion of ever getting a chunk of the cake; nonetheless, it falls within the ambits of my right as a citizen to demand for the ‘national garri’.

The national cake symbolizes the collective failure of government; it typifies the inherent mentality to perceive it as a privilege. It is the height of injustice to deny citizens of their fundamental right to determine their government. In its absence, we are treated to a constant course of obscenities, arising from our undistinguished representatives.

While I intend not to whine and moan, an attribute of our national lure, I cannot remain mute. Silence in the face of injustice, is comfortable but disastrous. The mess we are witnessing is a direct consequence of the basic role of governance. “Since the state alone embodies genuine authority and therefore incorporates, realizes and administers the common good”, (L. J. Munoz: 1996, Virtues: An Inquiry into Moral Values of Our Times). The provision of the common good (national garri) is the prime responsibility of any government. These are usually not far fetched – they include good roads, security, social services, etc. The wonders of Mr Fashola of Lagos State are hinged on this pedestal.

Justice consists in giving each person his due. Distributive justice finds it loudest amplification in the applications in political power. Munoz remarked in 1996, that “injustice disunites;” a contradiction of Ade Ajayi’s “justice unites”. Although there have been splashes of true ‘democratic dividends’ in areas of our national polity, the rest are just lies and only lies.

For any true progress, people have to perceive sincerity and transparency in government business. The current trend of graft and pampering of pen criminals have to end. Nigerians demand their due, a government they can call their own; an administration that is really bent on changing the country. Until that happens, let us not deceive ourselves in the pretence of democratic euphoria. For the time being it does not exist, we only have a civilian rule.

The African Pikin and Malaria

Nwachukwu Egbunike

African Pikin

Its Children’s Day, the celebration mist gathers momentum, curling through the world and wherever children are welcome. The continent is not spared; after all, one of the positives of the African worldview is the desire to have “umuaka.” (Ever wondered why abortion will remain contentious in this clime). Nonetheless, many factors militate against children and in Africa, malaria is chief. It is said that one African child dies of malaria every thirty seconds.

Of late, I’ve taken a fancy in studying the media strategies in the control of malaria. Aside being the number one public health problem in Nigeria (Onwujekwe et al, 2005), malaria is also responsible for the death of one out of every five children (United Nation Population Division, 2002). Malaria which decimates the poor and voiceless – especially women and children – remains essentially a tropical (read African) disease.

Ordinarily, the dreadful situation should have necessitated an intense media squall. On the contrary, a spiral of silence waves in the wind. Typically, an annual ritual of stories and commentaries make the rounds during the World Day for Malaria, and after that, it’s just silence. On the other hand, we have been satiated with an overdose of the campaign against HIV and AIDS. With many agencies dumping misinformation on the continent and flushing down imported models down our throats.

On face level, there seems to be no substantial difference between a child and a pikin. Save for the accidental linguistic disparity between the English and Pidgin (not Pidgin English) etymologies, the pikin and child seem to be synonyms. However, pikin signifies the kpakos, the numb majority in Africa while child envelops the botas from the upper and middle class. As malaria is more prevalent in semi-urban and rural areas, it means that pikins die like flies from the illness.

The reasons for the high mortality and morbidity are obvious. Many people cannot afford the high cost of anti-malaria medicines, the reliance on herbal cocktails is high and recourse to the hospital is usually as a last resort. When orthodox therapy is preferred, it is usually the quarks that are consulted. Those who despite all odds make it to see a doctor, most times do not keep to the regimen of the prescribed medicines. This leads to resistant strains of the malaria parasite and more deaths.

The prevention of choice is using Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN). “At least 80% of children less than five years of age and pregnant women sleep under ITN by 2010 and sustain coverage until 2013”, is one of the strategic plans of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) of Nigeria’s Ministry of Health. Quite ambitious, though I wonder how they intend to get the rural poor to acquire these nets. Even if the nets are free, that will not automatically translate into adoption. If those who can afford these nets hardly use it, what will happen to those who cannot afford it?

I just hope the NMCP’s strategic plan is not made on the archaic developmental assumption that those at the top know it all. “It takes two to have a handshake”, goes a proverb. Malaria control should also involve those who are worse hit and in so doing engage them in finding a solution.

While the gymnastic continues, the cry of the African pikins pierces our consciousness, accusing each of us, of not doing enough to clear malaria out of the continent. If only more agencies will match the malaria war with the same fanatical zeal they have for HIV and AIDS. Most likely, more pikins will be live to celebrate next year’s Children’s Day.

E SE BABA!!!

Nwachukwu Egbunike

E se Baba

It really started as a joke, Patrick Enahalo proposed the idea that I start a blog. I really didn’t take to it initially, thinking that it will only be an avenue to massage my vanity. However, he was quite persistent and besides he made me see it as a good opportunity of expressing my thoughts. A year ago, on this date I hosted my first post on this blog and since then it has been writing non-stop.

Writing in Nigeria is quite a task, an excursion into the deep and captivating world of words. A writer in this country cannot complain of themes to write about. Although it may happen from time to time, that the ink pot gets dry. Nonetheless, a look out of the window always produces a sensational aspect of this country (that many love as they hate) that is as unique and most times frustrating.

Many a times, I have been accused of being naively positive, unrealistic and critical. Thats the writers burden, to mirror society. Nonetheless, the writer is no plain being devoid of perspective or bias. To always complain about things in this country, will be a very saddening punishment for anyone.

Certainly, I rather not be in a state of excruciating melancholy over things that are beyond my control. If our politicians have sworn an oath to ensure that nothing works, I will only ensure that my pen keeps on flowing, rolling out words that will keep me sane and act as a constant alarm to them. Same goes for those whose stock in trade is to push the tyranny of fashion, dictators of relativism and morality.

Lest I get carried away. This blog started with posting “S.T. Bajah’s Immortal Legacy”, I hope I continue writing… Having come this far, I can only say E se Baba, as Feathers Project clocks one year today.

Pounding the Pope

Nwachukwu Egbunike

It’s not easy breaking the ink barren flu that had quarantined me for a full month. Within this period of my ‘writers illness’, a theme was vociferously dissected by the international media, who apparently where ‘scandalised’ about Benedict XVI’s comment on his visit to Africa that “the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem”.

Obinna and Nwachukwu, after the Papal Mass in Cameroon

For starters, I was in Cameroon for the papal visit and his statement on condoms was a non-issue. On the contrary Cameroonians were grateful to Benedict for telling the truth to power. His admonition to Christians to speak out against “corruption and abuses of power” was a hit, precipitating a domino effect. Curiously enough, this was hardly reported by most foreign media. Perhaps threatened by Benedict’s nerve to contest their ‘infallibility’ in setting global agenda for HIV/AIDS, the media became hysterical.

This condescending attitude was not lost on most of us in the news business. This is not the first, nor will it be the last time that Africa will be viewed from the biased prism of a childish continent. The issue of condoms and the curtailing of transmission of HIV/AIDS have always been controversial. Remarkably there are two schools of thoughts. Some elitists Africans puppets, who have been milking most of these foreign agencies, give the impression that all we need is condoms. On the other hand, the less vocal majority, know that the African world view is essentially polygamous. Thus any intervention that does not put this into account is bound to fail. That is why; condoms will not solve the AIDS palaver, rather it will only aggravate it. Condom advocacy is like trying to quench a fire with petrol.

Although tonnes of scientific evidence exist to disprove the fallacy of condoms, yet the Pope was severely pounded for saying just that. In AIDS: Let’s Face Fact I argued as follows:

Is safe sex, as safe as the advocates insist that it is? Any student of virology knows that the Human Immune Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus, with a diameter of 80-100mm (that is 0.1 microns). Condoms on the other hand have in-built voids, with a diameter of about 5 microns. As if that were not enough, condom manufacturers allow 0.4 per cent of any given batch of condom to be defective before a recall is ordered….this does not put into consideration the friction that is associated with coitus and the attendant risks of breakage, which is most common.

This was five years ago, perhaps these facts are already stale? Michael Cook does not think so. In “African AIDS: the Facts that Demolish the Myths”, he cited more than five academic papers published in top-rated medical journals, including the prestigious Lancent, which hold similar views.

Since Benedict was right, why the pounding? The Daily Trust in her editorial* thinks that the criticism was orchestrated by some “vested interests” in the pharmaceutical industry involved in the “marketing and sale of condoms and anti-retroviral drugs” that also exercise tremendous influence in the “control of the world means of mass communication.” I am also convinced that behind this hypocritical tempest, lies a deep seated hatred for the Church and Benedict’s statement was just an excuse to bounce on the institution he represents.

Crying more than the bereaved, the West pretends to love us more than we love ourselves. “As an African… it is my nephews and nieces that are in danger of dying of HIV/AIDS”. Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja continues, “Let no one ever suggest that they are more concerned about them than I am”. It’s the same Church that Benedict represents that have been on the forefront of the management of HIV/AIDS in the rural areas where the prevalence rate is much higher and help more needed. “Go to any remote corner of sub-Saharan Africa and, if you find anyone there caring for these people, it will be missionaries, religious brothers and sisters and dedicated lay people” opines Martyn Darkard.

It is obvious that Benedict personal statement neither contradicts faith nor science. Consequently the Papal pounding is skanky, unprofessional and irresponsible. Asides it portrays an arrogant ignorance of the developmental needs of the continent by the Western media who pretend to be the ‘infallible’ voice of the world. A bit of counsel, Africans may be poor but not dumb, and we know who our true friends are.

*Daily Trust Editorial (2009), “On the Side of the Pope” Daily Trust, March 30, Vol 21, No 36.

RAINY DRY INK

A thousand apologies for not having added any new post this month. Aside running into a inky dryness, I have been traveling a lot. I hope to start writing very very soon!!!!!

LEO UZO BOWS OUT

Nwachukwu Egbunike

May the most just and most lovable will of God be done, be fulfilled, be praised and eternally exalted above all things. Amen, Amen. – St. Josemaría, (The Way: 691)

Mr Leo Uzo

No matter how hard it appears the reality is that Leo Uzo has gone the way of all mortals. After a 66 year sojourn, Leo bade farewell to this planet to a warm embrace with his Creator. That in itself nonetheless, has not stopped the tears from flowing. Being human, I would have loved that he tarries awhile with us; being Christian, am convinced that Leo has only changed home.

Whence does this certainty come from? Can it not be a delusion or a mere courtesy of speaking well of the dead? In Leo’s case, his life was a testimonial that Christianity is no hallucination. That while most of us carry on with life as if there is no eternity, Leo lived with eternity always focussed before him. That does not mean that he left the legitimate concerns of his peers, secluding himself within the confines of the sacristy. On the contrary, he strode the streets of Lagos as a man in love with the world.

Leo was a man of many parts, a pharmacist, writer, teacher and a great parent. He was passionate about the transmission of values to both the young and not so young. Leo was a shinning example to those of us struggling to build up our careers.

While I commiserate with the Leo’s family on the death of their patriarch and friend, I am certain that his labours have not been in vain. God gives and he takes, not like a hunter (who shots down his prey) but like a farmer (who only takes the ripe fruit).

May Leo’s soul rest in perfect peace, Amen.