#WisdomTablets (8)

Never Rely on Public Opinion

If you are truly headed for a destination, never
you rely on public opinion over your pursuit.
Public opinion is what the people around you
- including friends, relatives, fans, colleagues
and what have you - think of you, or whatever
you look forward to achieving in the long run.

As the journey progresses, people would
continue to air their view as regards the content
of the odyssey. Welcome the views as they come
but endeavour to never allow it deter your vigour.
You must filter the views to enable your person
separate the filtrate from the residue.

Let what you stand to actualize remain your
motivator rather than depending your thrive on
what they think of the pursuit. Be focused, brave
and above all, determined. Seek for their opinion
but let it serve as a reference point, not the fanning
point. #ThinkAboutIt

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Opinion I Current Political Picture Of Imo Govt. House

CURRENT POLITICAL PICTURE OF THE IMO GOVERNMENT HOUSE

       

The last time I checked, the heat was really on at the Imo seat of power, though invisible to myopic thinkers cum viewers. As long as this critique lasts, I might be sounding weird to some persons who may find it very difficult to acknowledge where actually I’m migrating from.  
        

Whatever the case might be, it’s imperative to realize that the mindsets of the various individuals occupying the limited space of the said government house are ostensibly divided, perhaps owing to the awaited state of interregnum. To make it precise, it isn’t anymore news that 2019 would be witnessing yet another moment of power changeover in Nigeria – both at the federal and various states’ levels – and Imo State isn’t exceptional regarding the latter.

        

Lest I forget, this analysis is indirectly a continuation of that of the last two weeks on this very column entitled “If I were in Ohakim’s shoes”, which laid emphasis on the compelling need for the immediate past governor of the state – Chief Ikedi Ohakim – to embrace a rethink as regards his continuing second-term ambition. In that very piece, I unequivocally told the erstwhile governor what he needed to realize towards ensuring that he wouldn’t encounter further crisis in his keen political dream. This particular one was meant to be published penultimate week but as a result of the feat recorded by Governor Rochas Okorocha in the aviation industry, I thought it wise to keep it pending till this week.

        

Just as that edition on Chief Ohakim went, this one is mainly interested in advising the political stalwarts that belong to the present ruling party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) – in the state. This set of politicos is part and parcel of the state’s Government House at the moment, thus can be collectively referred to as persons at the helm of affairs as far as the Eastern Heartland is concerned.

        

It’s obvious that the APC is gradually gaining ground in the state and the country at large on a daily basis, thereby making the major opposition part – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – appears like a forgotten political platform. In view of this, the leadership of the party (APC) is bound to use the powers within its reach to ensure that the platform does not end up in an unpopular style at the battle field. The beginning of a certain dance style might look so stylish and very entertaining, but if apt steps are relegated to the background as the dance progresses, it may encounter a forsaken circumstance in the long run.

        

In essence, if the political personalities at the Government House refused to jettison or sacrifice personal interests for the sake of the party’s, I’m afraid the name of the party might be rebranded from APC to ‘Sorry’ when the time eventually comes. It is apparent that everyone, including Dick and Harry, wants to govern Imo come 2019, forgetting that the state isn’t one that can be controlled by a ‘boy’ when there are several qualified men lined up for the business.

         

Each time I’m about to lie in my humble bed, I do not fail to visualize what the fate of the ‘almighty’ APC would entail by 2019. Believe it or not, its primary election is liable to appear laughable if the few individuals that are currently in charge of the party failed to do a proper underground work prior to the aforesaid era. This implies that the founding members of the seeming great political forum, particularly the state’s governor Chief Okorocha, must put their acts together toward doing the needful.

        

The gubernatorial aspirants, both the relatively hidden and conspicuous ones, ought to be brought to a round-table as a family so that tangible decisions cum resolutions would be made among them. The paramount aim of the party’s leadership should be focused on how to delegate only one competent, experienced and reliable aspirant under the auspices of the party. Failure to do this early enough is tantamount to ushering in an unforeseen moment of demise of internal democracy which would surely tell on the party’s chances of victory at the awaited polls. We must note that one of the prime reasons that caused the PDP’s failure during the 2015 Presidential election was lack of internal democracy. The aforementioned factor is key to any anticipated political victory.

        

Hence, myriad of interests must be streamlined. Governor Okorocha is obviously in charge regarding the party’s leadership in the state, thus has an upper hand to do a thorough ground job. Every person’s interest is no doubt very important, but we must acknowledge that a certain interest could be more crucial than others. Against this backdrop, whosoever that would be involved in the harmonization process must jettison favouritism with a view to ensuring that only the aspirant that’s immensely wanted by the majority is anointed to bear the party’s flag.

        

One might want to know my interest in this case. The response to such intending inquiry is very simple and straightforward. The interest of the state remains mine. We must comprehend that anything that would warrant loss of internal democracy in the APC, in the future, might equally constitute societal upheaval; and such a scenario wouldn’t in any way augur well for any Imolite that means well for the state. I’m only advocating for a situation where every political element in the state won’t be deprived of whatever thing he/she might tag his/her right.

         

To this end, the current picture of the revered Government House ought to be reviewed in order to produce a more elaborate, elegant and mind-blowing one – political wise – as we continue to remain impatient towards embracing the year in question. In other words, I humbly urge the governor to become more vigilant, so that, he wouldn’t exclaim ‘Had I known’ which usually come at last. Think about it!

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Opinion I Of The Trump's Immigration Order and Its Intrigues

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ORDER, AND ITS INTRIGUES

       

On Friday 27^th January 2017 – barely a week after assumption to duty – the current President of the United States (U.S) in the person of Mr. Donald Trump abruptly signed an Executive Order that severely restricts immigration from seven Muslim countries on any visa category including Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen as well as suspends refugee admission into the country, for 120 days. The order equally bars all Syrian refugees indefinitely.

        

According to the said leader, the ban which applies only to non-U.S citizens was not targeted at a certain religion as being presumed in most quarters; rather, it was meant to affect nations that had been potentially of great security threat to the U.S. In his words, some nations – particularly Arab – had been noted to constitute security nuisance to the U.S, thus it was high time such lingered anomaly is aptly addressed.

        

The ban implies that anyone with the U.S citizenship – whether via natural-born or naturalization – is not affected, though on Sunday January 29 the White House’s Chief of Staff Mr. Reince Preibus disclosed on NBC’s programme titled ‘Meet the Press’ that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents would have ‘discretionary authority’ to question U.S citizens coming from the seven countries.

         

The order included individuals who are permanent residents of the U.S otherwise known as the ‘Green-Card holders’, who are travelling overseas to visit their respective families or for work-related matters, although a senior administration official while drawing clarity to the order the following day informed that their applications would be considered on a case-by-case basis. He further stressed that permanent residents from the affected countries who are in the U.S would have to meet with a Consular officer before leaving the country (U.S).

        

It’s noteworthy that the order in question also targets individuals of the affected countries who hold dual citizenship with another country. For instance, a person who holds both Iranian and German citizenships, or an individual who hails from Libya and also holds Nigerian citizenship or vice-versa. But it doesn’t apply to people who hold the U.S citizenship alongside citizenship of any of the affected countries, although based on reliable reports a CBP agent can presumably interrogate such a person in regard to his/her discretion.

        

The order has been widely criticized by various legal personnel as it is being argued by several analysts that it would negatively affect the U.S trade relation with the listed countries, whilst on the contrary in some quarters, it has gained countless accolades and what have you. It has led to massive protests at several airports across the U.S where people with valid documentation were detained.

         

However, legal challenges against those detentions recorded tremendous success. Judges in four cities of the U.S to include Boston, New York, Virginia and Seattle ruled against the detention. The rulings seemed to be limited to those people already at the U.S airports or in transit as at the time the order was pronounced, thus they didn’t ostensibly say anything about the legality of the president’s action.

        

Though any president of the U.S has broad discretion under the extant law to bar a class of persons deemed detrimental to the country’s security from entering into the country within any stipulated period and Mr. Trump isn’t exempted from such immunity, it’s pertinent to acknowledge that there are a few intriguing aspects of the abrupt executive order which perhaps isn’t peculiar to the U.S.

        

Regarding the dual citizenship part of the said ban, it has been reliably gathered that the United Kingdom (U.K) is not affected. The U.K Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Boris Johnson revealed penultimate week that the U.S had assured him it didn’t apply to the U.K nationals. This significantly and amazingly implies that anyone who hails from the U.K and equally holds citizenship from any of the affected seven countries, or vice-versa, is automatically exempted from the order. One may begin to wonder why only the U.K, or probably among its likes, would enjoy such preference.

        

Similarly, it would be recalled that Saudi Arabia was the major suspect in the 9/11 terror incident that brought down the World Trade Centre situated in New York, U.S.A, which was apparently masterminded by the Late Osama bin Laden. Yet the said country was exonerated from the listed countries that pose threat to the United States’ security. How do you reconcile this? Even such countries as Pakistan and Egypt that are globally reckoned to be affiliate of some widely recognized vices were also exempted from the list.

        

While pondering over the observation, you may be of the notion that President Trump’s action was informed by mere personal interest rather than America’s. As much as I appreciate his boldness toward putting up such courageous policy – though temporarily – he must as well comprehend that an action targeted towards addressing a country’s security issues isn’t supposed to be one-sided or carried out owing to individual aim.

         

He had already stated prior to his inauguration on January 20, 2017 that him alongside his team would make America strong, proud, safe, and great again. Hence, the best we could do at the moment is to hope his reign truly means well for the highly revered U.S. Think about it!

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