Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - {REVISED} Sunday Musings: South-Western Delegates - or Delegates from the South-West/Yoruba Nigeria - and Other Matters About the Upcoming National Conference
Adeshina Afolayan
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From: Mobolaji Aluko <alu...@gmail.com>
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Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - {REVISED} Sunday Musings: South-Western Delegates - or Delegates from the South-West/Yoruba Nigeria - and Other Matters About the Upcoming National Conference
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sunday Musings: South-Western Delegates - or Delegates from the South-West/Yoruba Nigeria - and Other Matters About the Upcoming National Conference
by
Mobolaji E. Aluko, PhD
Sunday March 9, 2014
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
My People:
Within the past week, an official list of 492/494 delegates to the upcoming National Conference - sans APC delegates - was released by the Federal Government, in twenty-six categories ranging from Elder Statespersons to Conference Leaders. They are expected to be formally inaugurated on Monday March 17, 2014.
A number of observations on the list are in order:
1. Only 88 of the 492 nominated delegates are women - 17.9% - which is a far cry from the 33% minimum that our women clamor for. To make amends without kicking any already-nominated persons out requires that we add 114 women and no more men to the list - or roughly average of 4.5 women per category. We should consider doing just that - but apologize first for the oversight.
2. Our Yoruba "cousins" the Itsekiri do not have a single delegate in the list, as well as the Ogoni - and now the Itsekiri are threatening to secede, courtesy the feisty Chief (Mrs.) Rita-Lori Ogbebor . No Rita, no Sagay, no Jemide, no Okorodudu, etc, or even the Olu of Warri/Itsekiri himself in the list? Well, I don't blame the Chief Madam, despite "secession" being inconveniently on the "No-Go" list of the conference. If such a major minority ethnic group as the Itsekiri - with so much oil being found on their territory - could not be accommodated among the twenty-six categories, I cannot imagine how many other ethnic groups have been omitted.
This why the un-deployed proposal whereby delegates are allotted by ethnic groups, and each required to fill their quota based on one or more of the twenty-six categories was somewhat meritorious. What is irksome is that of the fifteen delegates chosen specifically for the South-South geopolitical zone (for Socio Political/ Cultural and Ethnic Nationality Groups), one can count about four to six Efik/Ibibio, two to three of us the Ijaw, two or three Ikwerre - but no Itsekiri, and no Ogoni? We should make amends accordingly by expanding the total delegate list - but apologize first for the oversight.
3. There are fifty-two (52) persons listed as "Professors" in the delegate list, including immediate-past Education Minister Prof. (Mrs.) Ruqqayat Ahmed Rufai and long-past Education minister Jubril Aminu, the latter who, together with another delegate Munzali Jubril was also a former NUC Secretary; one sitting VC (Femi Mimiko of AAU, Akungba); two former VCs (Prof. Akin Oyebode, formerly of the University of Ado-Ekiti; Ishaq Oloyede, formerly of the University of Ilorin); the current Chairman of Nigeria's Committee of Pro-Chancellors Kimse Okoko, and the immediate past Executive Secretary of TETFund Prof. Mahmood Yakubu (who is the Conference's Assistant Secretary for Finance and Administration). Surely, this large group of eggheads can form a powerful caucus for (tertiary) Education to ensure the writing into the Constitution of a mandatory minimum of 26% budget outlay on education starting in 2020, with an annual increase of 3% for the next six years from the present miserable 8%? After all, in Egypt's latest post-Morsi, referendum-approved Constitution, written in was a mandatory 1% of GDP expenditure on Research and Development in universities: how about that too in Nigeria?
4. Of the 13-Member Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, six of them, apparently chosen on a geo-political basis (Chairman Dr. Femi Okunrounmu, Secretary Dr. Indabawa, Senator Khairat Gwadabe, Prof. Anya Anya, Col. Tony Nyiam (surprisingly not his replacement Chief Solomon Asemota), and Dr. Siddique Mohammed) are returning as delegates to the Conference proper. Fine - that should give some "original intent" guidance to the Conference
5. There are 103 delegates (with 24 women) with Yoruba/South-Western roots out of the 492 delegates - see Table 1 below. That is 21% of total delegates and 23% women representation - which are slight under-representations of the 22-33% of the Nigerian population estimated/women required. I believe that the Yoruba can live with that fair representation. Mind you, those 103 people include four Ilorin/Kwara royalty/nobility (two Gambaris, one Saraki, one AbdulRazaq(-Gwadabe)) of dual roots, and a non-Yoruba woman married to a Yoruba delegate (the only known husband-and-wife team in the list is Joe and Yinka Odumakin.) However, what again is irksome is that of the fifteen delegates chosen specifically for the Socio Political/ Cultural and Ethnic Nationality Groups in the South-West geopolitical zone of six states, as many as six delegates are from Ogun State alone (or are Lagosians with strong Ogun connections), and only one each from my state of Ekiti, and from the State of Osun. Is this marginalization a coincidence or what, bearing in mind upcoming gubernatorial elections in the two states? Unfortunately, we are stuck with this uneven arrangement - but there must be better care taken next time - after apologies.
6. I am fully aware that the OVERWHELMING number of delegates were chosen NOT because they come from any particular ethnic group or geopolitical zone. But having been chosen based on their professional or other affiliations, can their ethnic groups of prideful association be completely obliterated in their minds during conference considerations? For example, do we have South-Western (aka Yoruba) Delegates, or merely Delegates from the South-West (aka Yoruba) "Confederation" - is that a distinction with a difference? Or what does Diaspora representation really mean if for example delegates Gabe Okoye or Jonathan Obaje are taken completely under ethnic Igbo or Middle-Belt wings? Will for example delegate "Mama Diaspora" Chief (Mrs) Temitope Ajayi speak up for the Diaspora, for women, or for the Yoruba?
Hardly likely will there be a distinction without intentionality - and that distinction can only be assured if the delegates engage their primary constituencies before AND during the National Conference to determine constituency, conscience and confederation positions, and to determine where they converge and diverge.
But we shall see.
7. Finally, when will APC fill its two vacant seats - or has that window been permanently closed? If it has, what about the seven un-filled female vacancies in Edo, Delta, Oyo, Yobe and Rivers States, and a Muslim Leader and former Governor; and the one unfilled vacancy for Academy of Social Sciences? The Federal Government can start by just filling all ten positions with women - to boost the female percentage slightly to 20% - and see what APC does! :-)
And there you have it. Let the National Conference begin - and one still hopes that it will result in a new and popular National Constitution - otherwise the five to seven billion naira to be spent might just be a terrible waste of money.
Best wishes all.
Bolaji Aluko
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Table 1: SOUTH-WESTERN/YORUBA DELEGATES to the 2014 NATIONAL CONFERENCE of NIGERIA
103 Delegates, 24 Women (highlighted and starred)
|
S/N |
Name of Delegate |
|
1 |
Dr Tunji Braithwaite |
|
2 |
Chief Ayo Adebanjo |
|
3 |
Chief Richard Akinjide |
|
4 |
Chief Olu Falae |
|
5 |
Erelu Olusola Obada* |
|
6 |
Chief Afe Babalola, SAN |
|
7 |
Prof. Ibrahim (Agboola) Gambari |
|
8 |
Gen Raji Rasaki |
|
9 |
Barr Samuel Adetuyi, CP (rtd) |
|
10 |
Chief Babatunde Ala |
|
11 |
His Royal Highness, Alh (Kolapo) Sulu Gambari, CFR, Emir of Ilorin |
|
12 |
His Royal Majesty, Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji, JP, CON, Ariyowonye Lim Owaoye of Okemesi |
|
13 |
His Royal Majesty, Oba Arc Aderemi A Adedapo, Alayemore of Ido Osun, Coordinator |
|
14 |
Mr Akin Arikawe |
|
15 |
Promise Adewusi |
|
16 |
Issa Aremu |
|
17 |
Michael Olukoya |
|
18 |
Oyinkansola Olasanye* |
|
19 |
Sunday Olusoji Salako |
|
20 |
Olakunle Olanrewaju Olaitan |
|
21 |
Chief Kola Jamodu, OFR |
|
22 |
Ajani James Olawale |
|
23 |
Ben Durotoye |
|
24 |
Yinka Gbadebo, GCNS |
|
25 |
Olayinka Dada (JP) |
|
26 |
Kasim Akande |
|
27 |
Mosunmola Umoru* |
|
28 |
Mrs Remi Kuku* |
|
29 |
Chief (Mrs) Anthonia Balogun* |
|
30 |
Chief (Mrs) Temitope Ajayi* |
|
13 |
Mrs Felicia Sanni* |
|
32 |
Hajiya Bola Shagaya* |
|
33 |
Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja |
|
34 |
Commodore Olabode George (rtd) |
|
35 |
Prof Is-haq O Oloyede |
|
36 |
Alhaji Nurudeen Lemu |
|
37 |
Pastor Emmanuel Bosun |
|
38 |
Joe Okei-Odumakin Women Arise for Change Initiative & Campaign for Democracy * |
|
39 |
Femi Falana, SAN Leader, Civil Society Organizations |
|
40 |
Dr Abiola Akiyode Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre* |
|
41 |
Wale Okuniyi PRONACO |
|
42 |
Bisi Olateru Olagbegi Women Consortium of Nigeria * |
|
43 |
Steve Aluko Civil Liberties Organization |
|
44 |
Adebayo Oladimeji |
|
45 |
Barr Ayodele Adekanmbi |
|
46 |
Mr Lanre Ogundipe |
|
47 |
Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele (Lagos)* |
|
48 |
Supo Sonibare (Ogun) |
|
49 |
Sir Olaniwun Ajayi (Ogun) |
|
50 |
Dr Adetokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu (Ogun)* |
|
51 |
Chief Ajibola Ogunsola (Oyo) |
|
52 |
Barr Niyi Akintola, SAN (Oyo) |
|
53 |
Mr Yinka Odumakin (Osun) |
|
54 |
Senator Anthony Adefuye (Ogun) |
|
55 |
Senator Femi Okunrounmu (Ogun) |
|
56 |
Hon Salvador Adegoke Moshood (Lagos) |
|
57 |
Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa (Ondo) |
|
58 |
Dr Amos Akingba (Ondo) |
|
59 |
Chief Gani Adams (Ondo) |
|
60 |
Dr Femi Obayori (Ekiti) |
|
61 |
Pastor Tunde Bakare (Ogun) |
|
62 |
Dr Philip O Salawu |
|
63 |
Bayo Ojo |
|
64 |
Sen. )Gbemisola) Rukayat Saraki* |
|
65 |
Engr (Senator) Adefemi Kila, FNSE; The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) |
|
66 |
Dr Segun Aina, OFR; Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIB) |
|
67 |
Arc Waheed Niyi Brimmo, fnia, pnia; Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) |
|
68 |
Senator (Chief) Felix Kolawole Bajomo, FCA; Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) |
|
69 |
Mr Johnson Oludeinde Oluata, FCNA; Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) |
|
70 |
Dr Rotimi Oladele, FNIPR; Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) |
|
71 |
Mrs Bunmi Oke, frpa ; Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAPN)* |
|
72 |
Prof Olu Ajakaiye; Nigeria Economic Society |
|
73 |
Prof Oyewale Tomori, FAS, NNOM |
|
74 |
Hon Justice G A Oguntade |
|
75 |
Senator Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe * |
|
76 |
Chief Olusegun Osoba |
|
77 |
Senator Iyabo Anisunlowo* |
|
78 |
Hon Sheik M Sekoni |
|
79 |
Rt Hon Abudssalam Taofig Olawale |
|
80 |
General Alani Akinrinade (rtd) |
|
81 |
Prof Olawale Albert |
|
82 |
Prof Akin Oyebode |
|
83 |
Prof (Mrs) Bisi Aina* |
|
84 |
Bishop Felix Ajakaye |
|
85 |
Chief Olusola Akanmode |
|
86 |
Mrs Wosilat Marcarthy* |
|
87 |
Mr Supo Sasore, SAN |
|
88 |
Prof Tunde Samuel |
|
89 |
Olufunmilayo Osinowo-Bashorun* |
|
90 |
Mr Fola Adeola |
|
91 |
Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi |
|
92 |
Prof (Mrs) Titi Filani* |
|
93 |
Dr (Mrs) Yemi Mahmud-Fasominu* |
|
94 |
Prof N Oluwafemi Mimiko |
|
95 |
Barr Remi Olatubora |
|
96 |
Chief Gbadegesin Adedeji |
|
97 |
Chief Femi Akande |
|
98 |
Mrs Bola Ogunrimade (mni)* |
|
99 |
Chief Adeniyi Akintola |
|
100 |
Prof Ganiyu Raji |
|
101 |
Chief Shola Ebiseeni |
|
102 |
Prof Bolaji Akinyemi Deputy Chairman |
|
103 |
Female nominee expected from Oyo State* |
__________________________________________________________________
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Chika Onyeani
Chikwendu Christian Ukaegbu
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 12:03 AM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - African Diaspora Fellowship Initiative Kicks Off
Emeagwali, Gloria (History)
went the extra mile to make your dream a reality.
It would be nice for him to acknowledge the source of the ideas.
Even so, you should be proud of your pioneering role.
Professor Gloria Emeagwali
Prof. of History & African Studies
History Department
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain
CT 06050
africahistory.net
vimeo.com/user5946750/videos
Documentaries on Africa and the African Diaspora
________________________________
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Chikwendu Christian Ukaegbu [c-uk...@northwestern.edu]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 5:19 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - African Diaspora Fellowship Initiative Kicks Off
A great program. May I say that I floated this exact idea to the United Nations Volunteer Program. I aske for funding to enable me to work in Nigeria in the summer of 2004. The United Nations established what they called United Nations Volunteers (UNV ) sometime in 2002 or earlier. I applied to do capacity building with Igbo entrepreneurs in Southeast Nigeria whom I had been studying since 1991. I also volunteered to teach graduate students at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and from there mentor a young academic who might continue with, or modify, extant syllabus on the subject. I also opted to do same in other universities in Nigeria (see attached, my then statement of intent). After waiting for a long time without response from the UN I called the contact person at the UN who told me he saw my application but that he did not have the budget to fund my kind of volunteer project i.e.to go and teach at UNN and at the same time do capacity building of entrepreneurs. I, after that conversation, realized that the UNV was for community development kinds of things unrelated to the project I designed. That same idea I floated to pursue 2004 has now surfaced in the exact form I designed it but from another venue. My proposal and the Diaspora program look exactly the same (see attached). Intriguing indeed.
Chikwendu Christian Ukaegbu
________________________________
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Chika Onyeani [afrs...@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 12:03 AM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - African Diaspora Fellowship Initiative Kicks Off
African-born scholars living and working in American and Canadian universities are now able to apply for fellowships to undertake academic projects in African universities under a diaspora initiative supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Chika Onyeani
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Tade Akin-Aina
Sent from my iPad
<Ukaegbu UNV Response to Question 32.doc>
Tade Akin-Aina
I am intimately connected with the history and growth of this Initiative including how Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation who was once President of Brown University initiated this idea based on his experience of a similar Israeli Diaspora project while he was Provost at the University of Pennsylvania. The Africa program then started a drawn out due diligence process that included needs assessment studies in the USA and Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa. After the reports, there was a convening that included University of Ghana, Legon, the University of Wits, IIE, the Fulbright Program, CODESRIA, AUST, Abuja, ARIST, the World Bank and ACLS. This proposal and the details in it are the product of many versions that included inputs from three institutions, two blind external peer reviewers.
There is nothing to acknowledge to our distinguished colleague below.
All our documents are available and open to inspection on legal challenge. This is neither Dr. Ukaegbu's idea or proposal. We have a list of the scholars and academics led by Prof. PT Zeleza who all worked on the shaping of this idea.
Thank you,
Sent from my iPad
Emeagwali, Gloria (History)
Can this be a case of simultaneous creativity ?
Many text books claim that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone
but now it seems that Antonio Meucci, an Italian American probably beat him to it.
There is also a third person who did not make it to the patent office fast enough
but also makes a fairly valid claim.
There are also cases where the end product is the result of
collective collaboration over time, and here I think of the light bulb and the
crucial contribution of the African American inventor,
Lewis Latimer. His invention of the carbon filament
was actually critical for the bulb. Unfortunately, Thomas Edison
is usually given all the credit.
And then there is the case of the internet.....Ha! Ha! Ha!
This is what makes the history of ideas and inventions so fascinating.
The ball is in your court Dr. Ukaegbu, should you want to play.
Unfortunately I am on my way to the airport so I may miss a few
of the goals.
Professor Gloria Emeagwali
Prof. of History & African Studies
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Tade Akin-Aina [tadeak...@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 7:25 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Cc: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Prof. of History & African Studies
History Department
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain
CT 06050
africahistory.net
vimeo.com/user5946750/videos
Documentaries on Africa and the African Diaspora
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Tade Akin-Aina [tadeak...@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 7:25 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Cc: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Chikwendu Christian Ukaegbu
Hi Tade,
Thanks for your response to my posting on this subject. Yes, ideational creativity comes in multiple stripes. It can be vertical or horizontal, ' derivative' or 'symbiotic'. But it hardly comes as identical twins. That's what shocked, and continues to shock , me about the exactness of the similarity between the African Diaspora Initiative and my proposal to UNV more than 10 years ago. I’ve not made any accusative statement of plagiarism . You used it first. But I believe that anybody in my position will express immense surprise about the degree of similarity.
As I said earlier, it is a good initiative and people should give it their best for the benefit of Africa.
Best
C Ukaegbu
Chikwendu Christian Ukaegbu
Thanks for your postings on this subject. Yes, ideational creativity comes in multiple stripes. It can be vertical or horizontal, ' derivative' or 'symbiotic'. But it hardly comes as identical twins. That's what shocked, and continues to shock , me about the exactness of the similarity between the African Diaspora Initiative and my proposal to UNV more than 10 years ago. I don't intend to contest anything for I have no evidence. Using your metaphor, I've allowed the ball to play out itself.
Best
C Ukaegbu