All posts by Abraham Ameh

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Salutation to an Unsung Omoluabi

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Salutation to an Unsung Omoluabi

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

Today, January 9, 2020 is the 70th birthday of a role model: Dr. Abiodun Osinubi. If he had joined in the stealing from national patrimony like many are doing in my country, he would have received a presidential congratulations. Jets would have flown into Murtala Mohammed airport in Lagos conveying co-thieves who pretend to be leaders in politics or industry but are actually thieves not being held to account.

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Salutation to an Unsung Omoluabi

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Senior Moment on Duty Line

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Senior Moment on Duty Line

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

March 25, 2019 was one of those Senior moments during which one wonders if this could be it. I called my friend who exaggerated more than I did and rightly insisted that I should divert from going to the African Union compound in Addis Ababa. I listened and proceeded to the UN Clinic at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Yinka Adeyemi left his desk, joined me at the Clinic as I took care of vitals, and took me straight to the Chief Medical Officer. Her immediate effort put our minds at rest and I proceeded to blood works. Of course, I feel on top of the world as I write. My other friend, Bisi Dare, concluded that 18 holes of golf with him on the previous day and his observation that I do not drink enough water was most likely responsible for my Senior moment.

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Senior Moment on Duty Line    

 

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Comments Off on Snippets from Memorial Symposium for Prof. Adebayo Adedeji

Snippets from Memorial Symposium for Prof. Adebayo Adedeji

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Snippets from Memorial Symposium for Prof. Adebayo Adedeji

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

July 7, 2018 marked the grande finale of the celebration of the life of Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, this time with a memorial symposium on “Africa’s development agenda: Lessons from the Adebayo Adedeji years and policy options for the 21st century”. The symposium took place at the opulent Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos. Radisson Blu is a brand I like. I had stayed in many around the world including the other two in Nigeria on V.I and Abeokuta. But this really posh one does not come cheap. It has panache. Interestingly, memorial symposium took place in the Awolowo room.

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Snippets from Memorial Symposium for Prof Adedeji 

    

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Snippets from the Magodo Associates Symposium

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Snippets from the Magodo Associates Symposium

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

On May 3, 2018 the symposium I had joined others in planning within the Executive of Magodo Associates took place. Magodo Associates, a civil society group currently made up of former and serving intellectuals from the University of Lagos and other experts within in Lagos, has been in existence for over 10 years, see www.magodoassociates.org

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Snippets from the Magodo Associates Symposium    

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Snippets from 74th UN General Assembly 2019 Part II

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Snippets from 74th UN General Assembly 2019 Part II

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

There is much to write about the 74th UN General Assembly. Aside from the speeches in the big hall during which, Heads of State/Government or representatives (mainly Foreign Ministers) line up to articulate aspects of their respective foreign policies, the 74th UNGA had 2 additional Summits: first one was on climate. The second was on sustainable development.

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Snippets from the 74th UN General Assembly 2019 Part II   

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Snippets from the 74th UN General Assembly 2019 Part I

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Snippets from the 74th UN General Assembly 2019 Part I

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

End of January 2016, I had the opportunity of listening to late President Robert Mugabe as he gave his last address as African Union President handing over to President Idris Deby of Chad. His speech went viral, especially among Africans. He raised questions on the effectiveness of the United Nations for African nations. Questioning the rationale of having the UN HQ in NY, he wondered about why African Countries annually spend so much to attend the General Assembly without achieving much in return since ab initio, they are unequal and have been unable to realise change in the organization. I really don’t know how much Mugabe’s successor expended in order to have his day in the son. The fact, however, is that whatever he wanted to say did not interest other member States. He gave his speech to an almost empty hall.

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Snippets from the 74th UN General Assembly 2019 Part I 

 

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The Annual Şęnrolu Day in Odoşęnlu

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The Annual Şęnrolu Day in Odoşęnlu

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

Upon landing from Addis Ababa on Good Friday, April 19, 2019, I drove from the airport to my roots-Odoşęnlu. In Nigeria, we wrongly place emphasis on place of origin as opposed to residence. Many civic forms demand this information and it used to be the basis for any stake in the larger system. Though the relevance of place of origin is reducing, it is still very much there. So, we tend to have attachment to where our great, great grandfathers or simply put our lineage is. Hence, Odoşęnlu is where I have my country home. It is where I am also a Prince.

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The annual Şęnrolu Day in Odoşęnlu 

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The Corrupt and Elite Animals of Nigeria

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The Corrupt and Elite Animals of Nigeria

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

There is an irony about Nigeria. One only needs to shout: “thief, thief, thief”, in an attempt to apprehend an alleged petty thief, and in no time, a mob surfaces capture the individual. The alleged thief, whether male or female, is hounded by the mob and receives instant justice, without a trial. In some cases, irrespective of gender, petty thieves are forcibly undressed with accompanying violent kicks and slaps by a blood hungry mob. If the police delay in showing up and/or there is no voice of authority (whether as a result of age or public office) to restrain such mobs, dis-used motor tyres and petrol are procured to deliver instant death penalty without due process on a petty thief.

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The Corrupt and Elite Animals of Nigeria

 

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The Human Side of Kofi Annan

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The Human Side of Kofi Annan

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

I knew Kofi Annan has to die. Somehow, I never thought it would be this early for him. More so, when we were only told that it was after a brief illness. Brief illness for a great African, one of the best human beings, sounds strange for an eighty-year-old with access to the very best medical intervention possible on earth. I had thought he could have gone on for as long as Madiba did.

I would be stupid to want to analyse on the great deeds of Kofi Annan that altered the strategic framework of our world. I will not be exhaustive even in a thousand-page volume on Kofi at the UN and on our planet earth.

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The Human Side of Kofi Annan

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The Politicization of the Request for World Bank’s Prioritization of Boko Haram infested Part of Nigeria

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The Politicization of the Request for World Bank’s Prioritization of Boko Haram infested Part of Nigeria

Babafemi A. Badejo, Ph.D

I worked for the UN on the conflict in divided Somalia from 1993-2006. The division in that country was palpable in the city of Mogadishu that was, at the beginning of the conflict, divided between General Mohamed Farah Aidid in the South claiming to be President and businessman Mr. Ali Mahdi Mohamed in the North of the same city, also claiming to be President of the country. Both were from the Hawiye clan of the Somali set-up. I worked on both sides of Mogadishu and moved across the green line day-in day-out. Each move, I had many Guards in 3 SUVs with 12 AK-47s (standard UN protocol for such moved), ready to fight to protect the clans’ UN rented SUVs and not myself as I was initially made to believe. However, protecting the vehicles should be seen as protecting the occupants. The reality only comes during any attempt to loot one vehicle. But this is not at issue today as it should be explored elsewhere.

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The Politicization of the Request for World Bank

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