The President of the Senate
The Speaker of the House
Members of the Executive and the Judiciary
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This is a most historic occasion, sentient of the times we are in, it is a unique and unprecedented event, and I am truly humbled to be standing at this podium to (and I will say this out loud for the benefit of myself) briefly address a Joint Session of the US Congress.
I will provide some background which I believe will benefit the target audience of my message. I am a new immigrant to the United States, having been here for less than two years. Like many in my situation, I have spent my youth in another clime, a different culture, different people, and different prospects. Like all, I have chosen freely to cast my lot with the promise of this nation, a country for all people world over. The American Dream is vivid and persuasive enough to attract highly talented and motivated people from far across the globe; it is also a beacon for many in several dark corners the world over. This American Dream rewards industry and enterprise and dedication. It negates the old doctrine that status was a birthright, and that the poor could have it no different. The American Dream that draws tens of thousands of legal migrants annually gives the assurance that there are no glass ceilings, nor trip ladders.
Today, from my vantage viewpoint as a fresh immigrant, I can see with clarity that the current debt situation leaves me instantly poorer (by $46,000) than I was upon leaving the shores of my native country. To compound things, the current posturing of the political and power blocs also rob us of all hope, threatening to turn the American Dream into a pipe dream.
One side seeks to conserve and preserve the wealth of the nation in the hands of the privileged; the other remains content to give handouts to the poor, but offer no prospect of self-empowerment.
In the last couple of weeks, we the People have been inundated, courtesy of the media, with reports of the US debt crisis, the debt ceiling of the US Government, the need for a congressional vote to raise this limit and the implications of a US
Government default on its major instruments of debt.
We have also heard the arguments from both sides, and we are gladdened that both sides agree that the ceiling needs to be raised, that government spending needs to be curtailed and the debt profile must be revisited to create a more sustainable trajectory. We are however mortified to learn of how radically different, and mutually exclusive the thoughts of the two sides are on how to carry out this common agenda.
Our esteemed leaders, perhaps, we need a few reminders at this juncture. That leadership is the ability to identify and correct a problem before it becomes a disaster. In contrast to the tenets of this adage, what we have witnessed in recent times is our leaders governing through crises and artificially created cliff-hanger scenarios, specifically to milk every incident for all possible political capital.
Perhaps our esteemed leaders need to be reminded of the plight and conditions of the majority of Americans – the very people they purport to represent, that the multitudes of employed and unemployed need social security, Medicaid, Medicare as well as the Affordable Care Act. And that the Investors and Business owners want tax breaks, subsidies and sundry benefits. That everyone in both groups, making these different demands on government, wants the same goals, ultimately – to live freely in the pursuit of happiness.
Perhaps the Honourable members of the US Congress need to be reminded that what we have is a representative government in which the bicameral legislature best reflects the composition of the Union. That no county district or constituency is either pure red or pure blue. That no congressman has ever been returned by 100%, thus to purport to stand only for the party line and to eschew all forms of compromise as this present House is wont to do is a disservice to the nation and an affront on representative government.
The United States needs to live up to its name; the political parties need to keep in mind that the real power belongs to the people, not interest groups.
It is at a sad juncture that we find ourselves today, where the world watches in amazement as the top two elected officers from both parties deliver their different spins on the same issue with surreal animation and affectations. It is probably one of the most humbling moments in the history of the Union when the joint session of the representatives of the greatest nation on earth suffers the preaching of an obscure immigrant from a third world nation.
Yet, it is from such moments that this Union re-invents itself and charts a whole new course for humanity. It is this resilience that has favoured the US in the past, we call upon it again for the task ahead, it is by no means easy, but it has to be done.
As I have unduly been granted this privilege to speak to this assembly, I see no reasons why I should not conclude with these admonitions from a my very sincere heart;
To the majority of the citizens of this country, many of whom are trapped in the rat-race so deviously crafted by the corporations, and have chosen to remain unconcerned; I say rise up
To the rich, who feel protected from the predictable financial upheaval (in the event of a default) by their accumulated wealth; I say, wise up
To You, the Representatives of the people, leaders of the Free World; I say man up
This is not simply about standing for what is just, and what is right, it is about doing what needs to be done, and doing it, just right.
Thank you for your time,
God bless us all,
God bless the United States of America.
(This speech is to be delivered by this presumptuous author to an imagined Joint Session of the US Congress on the eve of the very unlikely event of a default on the US Government’s debt obligations)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Which way, Nigeria?
Nigeria and Nigerians have in the last twelve months witnessed a series of events; ranging from the mundane, to the absurd, barbaric and cataclysmic. From the disappearance of a sitting president to his eventual demise, succession travails, build up to national elections and the on-going post-election violence.
These were events that I followed closely, and freely commented upon via different social media. This essay is a follow up of the same theme I have been emphasizing throughout my writings, it is also in response to several misconceptions and misinterpretations that are gaining currency at the moment.
Where we are today as a Nation was predictable and avoidable.
When UMY disappeared in Novemeber 2009, without following the due process of power transfer, very few spoke up, too many were tolerant of this abuse of office by the Executive branch. When it became all to apparent that he had become incapacitated as the C-in-C, the statutory bodies also failed to respond in the manner stipulated by law. The public was stirred into action; but action was more akin spectators at a theatrical comedy than of aggrieved citizens.
On the eventual announcement of the president's demise, the lines were blurred even further. It was widely reported that the wife of the president and a few others had hijacked the apparatus of state, denied the VP access to his boss and vicariously held the entire nation hostage. Yet, this was never addressed nor investigated. Worse still, Nigerians never demanded an explanation, nor did we seek closure.
In the build up to the elections, I stated on several occasions that we failed the primary challenge in re-writing the destiny of our nation- which was to identify, promote and sponsor worthy candidates. Every other thing that followed was and still is an exercise in futility, as far as changing the status quo is concerned. I urged my friends and colleagues not to lose sleep over any candidate, that none could deliver any meaningful change.
Alas, the enthusiasm was intoxicating, the fervor too strong, everybody (well nearly) caught the fever, and all of a sudden, the hopes and aspirations of tens of millions coalesced into a palpable pulse, and the hope solidified, and Nigerians... believed, that it could happen.
When voting was deferred on the first day of the elections, I proclaimed loudly that such could only happen in Nigeria, when in the absence of a disaster or wide-scale emergency, polling could be called off while voters and electoral officers where already at polling booths, and after some ballots had been casted.
Alas, Nigerians were quick (too quick) to come to the defense of the Electoral Commission. I opined that the excuses given were lame, that even if the contractors failed to supply materials, there ought to have been a back up plan in place, I strongly suggested, that perhaps, once again, Nigerians were being kept in the dark about the real events that would shape their future and collective destinies... too few listened or took heed.
The aftermath of the Presidential elections is just too sad to narrate. The results are glaring, anybody could be a target; Emirs, politicos, businesses, Christians, NYSC members, non-Northerners; everybody. Wanton, senseless, destruction of lives and property.
Emotions are high, the disgust and outrage palpable. The loss is incalculable, the survivors and families of victims inconsolable. It is tempting to describe the violence as the culmination of everything bad and evil about Nigeria, but sadly, it isn't. This is just another manifestation of the sorry state of our nation.
The single thread that connects the UMY saga to the current outbreak of violence is not the involvement of the ethnic North, but our penchant for disregard of the law and due process. Demonstrated first in high office and manifested later in the streets.
At the moment however, we prefer to deny this inconvenient truth. Folks from the south are more willing to denounce the 'northern muslims' and the 'almahjiris' rather than own up to our collective faults and errors, as a society, and as a nation.
The present situation was predictable and thus avoidable.
Predictable because over the years, there have been intermittent outbreaks of violence in several parts of the country with the same results- the victims are left to lick their wounds or retaliate, but the perpetrators are never found, investigated nor brought to book.
This culture of tolerance has encouraged the nurturing of violence as a social tool; for self-determination and emancipation in the Niger-Delta to self-expression and popular protest in the North.
I stopped short of warning of post-election civil unrests for two reasons; firstly, I was of the opinion that it was obvious enough, secondly, I did not wish to be liable for creating or planting the idea into the minds of all too willing people.
It was obvious because most people expected some form of rigging or the other, which is the reason for party agents at polling centers. And surely, electoral rigging was sure to leave large sections of the public, cheated and disenfranchised.
Avoidable because these causes are far from natural causes.
This essay is not going to be a review of the state of our affairs however, I intend it to illuminate a possible pathway out of the doldrums, to a new and prosperous nation.
This will be explored through a series of articles on this blog, but I want to leave room for discussion. We need a collaborative effort, we need to exchange ideas and rub minds. I realize that I have a tendency to gloss over recent events, largely because I had long anticipated them. I acknowledge however that others are devastated, and have not, or cannot yet move beyond it. I also expect others to hold a different opinion, view or perspective.
I encourage everyone tagged to air their views, I will appreciate it a lot. It would serve a common good, and possibly lead to a re-birth of our nation-state.
Thank you
(To be continued...)
These were events that I followed closely, and freely commented upon via different social media. This essay is a follow up of the same theme I have been emphasizing throughout my writings, it is also in response to several misconceptions and misinterpretations that are gaining currency at the moment.
Where we are today as a Nation was predictable and avoidable.
When UMY disappeared in Novemeber 2009, without following the due process of power transfer, very few spoke up, too many were tolerant of this abuse of office by the Executive branch. When it became all to apparent that he had become incapacitated as the C-in-C, the statutory bodies also failed to respond in the manner stipulated by law. The public was stirred into action; but action was more akin spectators at a theatrical comedy than of aggrieved citizens.
On the eventual announcement of the president's demise, the lines were blurred even further. It was widely reported that the wife of the president and a few others had hijacked the apparatus of state, denied the VP access to his boss and vicariously held the entire nation hostage. Yet, this was never addressed nor investigated. Worse still, Nigerians never demanded an explanation, nor did we seek closure.
In the build up to the elections, I stated on several occasions that we failed the primary challenge in re-writing the destiny of our nation- which was to identify, promote and sponsor worthy candidates. Every other thing that followed was and still is an exercise in futility, as far as changing the status quo is concerned. I urged my friends and colleagues not to lose sleep over any candidate, that none could deliver any meaningful change.
Alas, the enthusiasm was intoxicating, the fervor too strong, everybody (well nearly) caught the fever, and all of a sudden, the hopes and aspirations of tens of millions coalesced into a palpable pulse, and the hope solidified, and Nigerians... believed, that it could happen.
When voting was deferred on the first day of the elections, I proclaimed loudly that such could only happen in Nigeria, when in the absence of a disaster or wide-scale emergency, polling could be called off while voters and electoral officers where already at polling booths, and after some ballots had been casted.
Alas, Nigerians were quick (too quick) to come to the defense of the Electoral Commission. I opined that the excuses given were lame, that even if the contractors failed to supply materials, there ought to have been a back up plan in place, I strongly suggested, that perhaps, once again, Nigerians were being kept in the dark about the real events that would shape their future and collective destinies... too few listened or took heed.
The aftermath of the Presidential elections is just too sad to narrate. The results are glaring, anybody could be a target; Emirs, politicos, businesses, Christians, NYSC members, non-Northerners; everybody. Wanton, senseless, destruction of lives and property.
Emotions are high, the disgust and outrage palpable. The loss is incalculable, the survivors and families of victims inconsolable. It is tempting to describe the violence as the culmination of everything bad and evil about Nigeria, but sadly, it isn't. This is just another manifestation of the sorry state of our nation.
The single thread that connects the UMY saga to the current outbreak of violence is not the involvement of the ethnic North, but our penchant for disregard of the law and due process. Demonstrated first in high office and manifested later in the streets.
At the moment however, we prefer to deny this inconvenient truth. Folks from the south are more willing to denounce the 'northern muslims' and the 'almahjiris' rather than own up to our collective faults and errors, as a society, and as a nation.
The present situation was predictable and thus avoidable.
Predictable because over the years, there have been intermittent outbreaks of violence in several parts of the country with the same results- the victims are left to lick their wounds or retaliate, but the perpetrators are never found, investigated nor brought to book.
This culture of tolerance has encouraged the nurturing of violence as a social tool; for self-determination and emancipation in the Niger-Delta to self-expression and popular protest in the North.
I stopped short of warning of post-election civil unrests for two reasons; firstly, I was of the opinion that it was obvious enough, secondly, I did not wish to be liable for creating or planting the idea into the minds of all too willing people.
It was obvious because most people expected some form of rigging or the other, which is the reason for party agents at polling centers. And surely, electoral rigging was sure to leave large sections of the public, cheated and disenfranchised.
Avoidable because these causes are far from natural causes.
This essay is not going to be a review of the state of our affairs however, I intend it to illuminate a possible pathway out of the doldrums, to a new and prosperous nation.
This will be explored through a series of articles on this blog, but I want to leave room for discussion. We need a collaborative effort, we need to exchange ideas and rub minds. I realize that I have a tendency to gloss over recent events, largely because I had long anticipated them. I acknowledge however that others are devastated, and have not, or cannot yet move beyond it. I also expect others to hold a different opinion, view or perspective.
I encourage everyone tagged to air their views, I will appreciate it a lot. It would serve a common good, and possibly lead to a re-birth of our nation-state.
Thank you
(To be continued...)
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