Our beloved President Tandja.

Sometimes one cannot just say anything. Keep quiet I mean. Mamadou Tandja involuntarily wants to rule sans stop. He can’t help it. It’s as incontrollable as your heartbeat. Or like diarrhea. The people of Niger cannot do without his wisdom. Since Tandja came to power 10 years ago, Niger has known such a blissful economic state. If they let him go now, they will have no one to blame once the country goes back to the poverty it was in before he came.

I wonder what is wrong with the opposition that has even asked the military to overturn Tandja. How can anyone ask for a stop to development? The people themselves have said they want Tandja so as to assure the country’s economy that is growing day and night! What does the opposition really want? What does the it really want?

All other countries in Africa and the world are fighting to remove their leaders but Nigeriens are different. They are fighting to keep their out-of-this-world president. They are ready to die and leave Tandja ruling. Thank God they can tell a messiah when they see one.

What? A minister just resigned in protest…what protest? He is bewitched. The High Court has ruled against a referendum. Stupid. It should be called the Low Court!

If Tandja ever said he was going to step down at the end of his term then his was quoted out of context. Those who quoted him in context know that he clearly meant heaven had called him to deliver his people from poverty. And doing good he is. The French, the Spanish , the Portuguese; basically the whole of Europe is migrating to Niger daily, the rebellion in the north has been mashed, Niamey is now the first fully neon city in Africa, second in the world after Tokyo. Niger was very poor. Now it’s very rich.

Don’t I just love it! Pass an apple bro.

Omar Bongo est-il mort?

The French media, AFP and Le Point say Omar Bongo the President of Gabon for close to 41 years is dead. The Gabonese Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong denies the report terming it "invraisemblable" - unimaginable. Bongo has been receiving treatment for cancer at a Barcelonian clinic. Time, short time, will tell. If true, an avalanche of analysis of African Leadership is due.

Wow! A chant for Africa today.

Every day is an Africa day and maybe that's why not many people know that today is oficially set aside to celebrate all that is great in this beloved continent. And our basket of overflowing with these things of pride even when shaken together;

The beauty of our people, the kink of our hair - that twist and curl that blends with its softeness and tenacity, the naturally braced teeth, the rise and fall of biceps on our young males' arms, the flowing curves of our ladies - and boy don't they know how to gyrate their pelvises to and fro!

The nourishment of our wisdom wrapped up in the artistic figures of speech aka proverbs; that however hot my anger is it will never cook yam. Don't fret son as wood may remain ten years in the water, but it will never become a crocodile. He who cannot dance will say: "The drum is bad." So heed and let your elbows meet the soil, they won't rot.

The vivacity in our dances, that abandon that a tom tom with a life of its own smokes out of your body, the songs that tag at your heart like a snail does on a wall and leaves shiny traces, is it the projection of sharp voices or the waterfall like roar of the deep ones? Mory Kanté the Mandinka griot, won't you do it again with Yéké Yéké, that first ever African single to sell over one million copies? Or will it be Ladysmith Black Mambazo? Or you and me in our home dancing arenas?

And this continent you are blessed, how many orifices have you now spewing oil, diamonds, copper, names them? Can my hand stretch from Congo to Gabon or Cameroun and blanket the canopy of your rain forest? Okavango Delta in Botswana, the world's largest inland delta, can I swim in your waters to go behold you irrigating the Kalahari? African Game, take 2 for another dance in the rain please; all of you; elephants, ants, bongos, crocs, widerbeest...yes you all. And the Sahara, the proud Sahara that has now taken a rest from all the trodding of the Dakar Rally. Rest baby.

I salute you all intellectuals. Go on discovering, inventing and making every man/woman's life better than before you happened. Philip Emeagwali, you who we call Mr. Calculus, scientific computing was never clearer. Even to those that destiny sent out outside this continent, you never dropped the seeds of brilliance in the Atlantic; RIP Aimé Césaire. Mr. President, show them how it's done this time. Didier, Thiery, Kobe, Jelimo...it's nothing but prowess I know.

Nairobi, Pretoria and Lagos; your skycrappers I look at daily. How your glasses kiss the Sun the whole days. And indeed they are glass lips otherwise the pleasure would have eaten them away by now. The streets are appealing too and my visiting friends have been on an oh and ah mode since they touched aboard KQ, SA and EA. The jacaranda and lavender packed parks will caress your nature buds when the sun that loves us 365/12/7 comes up.

Yeah, don't tell me there another side. I know it as well and every tree has its smooth and charred bark. This coin is di-faced and today I chose glory over anything else. In this luxuriant chant I have no sorrow.

May 25th is Africa Day, the official day of the African Union. The annual commemoration of the 1963 founding in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), currently African Union (AU). However, May 25 has been retained as a celebration of African unity, diversity, beauty, glory, success and all that is great in Africa and inspires pride in its people whether home or in the diaspora.

Rain may beat a leopard's skin, but it does not wash out the spots.

Fibre optic cables for each district in Rwanda by Nov 2009

That laying of fibre optic cables is now the fashion in Africa is a told story. Practically along the 3 major water bodies around the continent run these cables, the latest being in the Indian Ocean.

This remarked, many villages not far from the coast remain uncovered, with the cables touching major cities only. This is especially true in the West African coast. Elsewhere the partners involved are content in connecting the major towns for now and villages later when budget and logistics allow.

Between the 24-26 of March 2009 the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisations annual conference was hosted by Kigali and it came up with an action plan destined for each member country as a means of enabling governments and various societies deliver IT based services to the people quickly, efficiently and at affordable costs.

Very keen to put into practice some of the recommendations of the conference the Rwanda Development Agency has promised to link all the country’s districts with a fibre optic cable by end November 2009.

Doesn’t the November 2009 date tell of good news? Wilson Muyenzi, the Director of the e-Rwanda project is proud that his country was used as an example of progress for participating countries in efforts to spread IT infrastructure to citizens. Muyenzi fronts this acknowledgement as proof that RDA’s project will beat the November deadline.

The laying of the cables is solely being financed by the Rwandan government. Upon completion, connection to various institutions like learning institutions and hospitals will be handled by the World Bank. Meanwhile the government has established centres in each district and provided computers where people will access IT services at a subsidized cost.

Spread of IT infrastructure and promotion of computer literacy is one of the development projects held dear by the Rwandan government. What the government is doing to its people cannot be quantified in terms of benefits in the near future. It’s invaluable.

When that last person in that remote village, he/she who is the all time clear score card of a country’s level of development starts to enjoy modern technology, then Rwanda will have elevated its population and Africa’s at large and beaten the path for other countries. It’s music to any afro-phile’s ear.

Rwanda at this time

All talk of how inhuman friends and neigbours can become sinks better in recent times with a reference to the Rwandese story of genocide. Other stories are there like in former Yugoslavia but Kigali is closer home. It will never be forgotten and the commemoration today well serve to remind citizens of Rwanda, Africa and the rest of the world that human life should never be juggled that close to death.

It would be untrue to say the Rwandese have pulled themselves from the genocide effects. Certainly the weight of bitterness and guilt hasn't let up. Unfortunately some will never forgive as their anger remains on surface while others trauma won't let them.

Despite all this if there is a community that chose to face a problem rather that assume it will wisp away, then its the Rwandese community. Deliberate efforts to bring people to confess their murderous acts in 1994, to their victims and the encouragement of victims to accept theit tormentors have certainly borne great big fruits. This is incredible and commendable. Incredible because it never seem possible.

Polically Kigali is stable. The leadership of President Kagame has managed to stay focused on its vision of uniting the people inspite of their long history of intentionaly fueled ethnic hatred. Well, there are observations that the government is not democratic and dissidents aren't given much space. All the same the due is the devil's.

On ecomomic development the Rwandese is a perfect example of what a country can achieve, if put on track by a vision. Rwanda is a success story in Africa and in the whole of the developing world. Massive infrastructural development projects keep popping up. In mind I have the government insistence on technology education and delivery of IT goodies to the citizenry. Rwanda is agressively pursuing ecomomic growth despite its bad history, small territorial ground and minimal natural resources. Unlike elsewhere in Africa where there are either no national visions or they are there only as testomonials.

Rwanda has also returned fire with fire whenever European nationas have thrown about their belligerence in its home affairs. France and Belgium meddled can tell you well how it feels. French has now been shunned in preference on English and knowing the French, loosing a francophone speech community is just that; a loss.

All in all there is indeed much to celebrate than to sulk over as Rwanda remembers the start of genocide. They have used their mistakes and loses for national good.

Will Africa ever ship back immigrants?

Yet another tragedy. A group of immigrants is no more after their boat capsized in the very blue waters of Mediterranean. Yet another boat. It seems like there is no way of halting the imigrants search for good things of life. Not that they should be stopped; their reasons for a journey of lifetime are incontestable. But all the efforts by countries on opposite sides of the sea are still far from being bullet proof.

Will Africa ever ship back immigrants? There could be some thrill in guarding the coastline against Spaniards, Italians and French boats/yatchs full of them, rounding and giving them bread and covering their faces against sunburn. Maybe it's exciting but sad as well. With every single country in Africa discovering an oil well nowadays, this thrill could here sooner than imagined.

For now it is a big loss to youth when their desperation and determination, the want of a good life for self and others, the great hope, the frustration of loosing that bread morsel just a few inches on its way to the mouth, all disappear in the sea. I mourn.

From Tripoli with une grande idée

When I was more of a boy there was this group of believers who gathered every Sunday afternoon in the town’s tiny, dustless but only public park to worship their god. A kind gathering would always encircle them. Not much of a faithful outdoor pew but an audience to the wonderful things the worshipers used to do. An elderly but well fed woman, her cotton head dress as multi-coloured as the luxuriantly swishing robe she wore, would suddenly jump up with a shout, bend with the head close to her knees and shoot forward like a careless comet. In the name of an instant encounter with godly spirits a muscular minister would always be at hand to hold the woman and of course absorb the shock of a head busting halt. In the arms of the minister she would for minutes burble and pour forth often unintelligible proclamations. “Mysteries of revelation” the believers would explain.

To many Gaddafi the Colonel is in close to such a practice. He has jumped and shot forward. The African Union had steadied him and he is now pouring forth revelations of a united Africa. Well, he is not wrong. A united Africa is indeed a great idea but only an idea for now. It is most likely going to remain an idea even in the long term future. This is why there are more onlookers than followers in association with Gaddafi.

The Colonel is a patriotic son of Africa. He has often spoken audaciously for this continent and hit its many haters where it hurts be it a little or most. He believes Africa should be independent and is capable of being so. On this I’m with him under the same tent, camels around, the desert ahead and everything. Like a good leader Gaddafi has lead by example and Libya is a self-governing nation. It needs no aid, abundantly feeds, educates, and treats its people and even other people’s people. Yes, Libya has oil and so do Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.

In the imagined world Africa is has used its great riches to prosper its people. There is progress day and night and we are shipping back immigrants. This article like many others as well as Gaddafi’s vision is an attempt to bring down that Africa from paradise and make it dwell among the continent’s 900 plus people either wishing, fishing, killing, singing, looting, overthrowing, writing, stealing, sleeping, praying, preaching or immigrating to reach it.

However a united Africa might be the most wearisome and long way towards the continent we want. Politically, throw that away and go back to your work. Economically though, there is a flicker. By strengthening the continents’ economic blocs we can each stay at home and lead ourselves but draw benefits from partnership in trading and security against pitiless foreign markets.

Unfortunately this economic frontage as a first lead to unity is being torn apart by greed, pride and cunningness. Some trading partners want to come out both cheeks bulging bald-facedly, others cheeks bulging yes but their dignity unscathed and the rest feel it will be like courting a plague. There is more loyalty to self gain than to futuristic planning.

Gaddafi has been a longtime fan of a united Africa and may have thoughts of making that come about during his time as the head of AU. There is however a number of far reaching, very far reaching curves to uncurl before we have a living united Africa. Conception is also yet. One partner is for it while the other is not and matters as this one have no donor. It’s a do or die state, but more of die - albeit for now.