Indeed, no drama, in consonance with Obama’s supplemented theme for his campaign of Change and Hope. One can only best quote Robin Renee Sanders, (black) Ambassador of the US to Nigeria, when in a November 4 press release, she wrote in Abuja that:
QUOTE: Democracy works for the people. A democratic system ensures our governments serve us. Democracy educates our children, cares for our sick, and ensures the common wealth and security of our nations. Democracy works because it gives ordinary citizens control over their government through the power of their vote. As a citizen, casting your vote serves as your voice on issues and policies important to you. American’s democracy reflects our own unique history and traditions, as it does in other democracies around the world. In Nigeria too, democracy should respect the traditions of the Nigerian people, while honoring and reflecting the will of the Nigerian people through free, fair, transparent and orderly elections which allow for the peaceful transition from one elected government to the next. All democracies, however, should rest on key fundamental principles which most notably are freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly.
Well functioning democracies share common characteristics: free and fair elections, respect for the rule of law, open and transparent institutions of government, and effective measures to combat public and private corruption and illicit enrichment by any member of government. Those in the past who have done so should face the rule of law. Strong democracies meet the needs of their people. They invest in their people through education and health care; they ensure economic opportunity for all; and they create an environment of peace and security in which each individual can thrive. UNQUOTE
Enough said.
THE ETHNIC DIMENSION
There are four ethnic groups in America’s social fabric – White, Black, Hispanic/Latino and All Others (which include Asian and Native American populations). According to the Census Bureau, in 2000 (the last census), Whites constitute 69.1%, Blacks 12.1%, Hispanic/Latino 12.5% and All Others 6.3%. The percentage of the White Majority, particularly of the voting electorate, has been decreasing over the years. Obama’s winning coalition therefore had to cut across all ethnic groups, and particularly the young White folks many of who were voting for the first time, and do not have the ethnic inhibitions of their older generation. The Obama-Biden team was so vastly superior to the McCain-Palin team that the United States would have earned global opprobrium if Obama had lost, for it would have been assigned to simple racism.
While at one level, there are as many as 378 ethno-linguistic groupings in Nigeria, there are also four ethnic groupings – Hausa-Fulani (29%) , Yoruba (21%), Igbo (18%), and Ethnic Minorities (32%, comprised of Ijaw, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, etc ). The absence of an outrightly dominating ethnic group, the sheer size of the so-called ethnic minorities, and the geographical, cultural and religious identifications of the various groups, the lack of political-party ideologies - as well as historical and colonial legacies - clearly complicate Nigeria’s political life more than that of the USA. Nevertheless, the emergence of an ethnic minority such as Obama in a truly federal system such as the United States is a good harbinger for Nigeria and many countries in Africa – such as his own native Kenya where a winning Luo was recently denied the presidency through a stolen election - if the proper lessons can be learnt.
WHAT OBAMA’S ELECTION IS NOT TO NIGERIA AND AFRICA
Finally, Obama as president of the United States of America beginning January 20, 2008, will become arguably the most POWERFUL Black Man ever in the history of the world, as Prof. Ali Mazrui succinctly put it in a recent interview, atop the most powerful country economically and defense-wise. However, he will still just be president of the US, not of Nigeria, not of Africa, and not of the world, and his primary constituency will still be those who voted for him. Nevertheless, while there are members of the Nigerian and African Diaspora who are tax-paying citizens of the US and daily contribute to its ecumene, it will remain incumbent upon us to ensure that American foreign policy towards Africa in trade, aid, immigration and other matters becomes more enlightened and mutually beneficial, and that Obama use his good offices to be a bully pulpit to the political leaders of the continent of his father to stop their rapacious attitudes and tend more to the developmental needs of their people. So it is not yet Uhuru, but we may be closer with the election of Obama.
QUOTE: Democracy works for the people. A democratic system ensures our governments serve us. Democracy educates our children, cares for our sick, and ensures the common wealth and security of our nations. Democracy works because it gives ordinary citizens control over their government through the power of their vote. As a citizen, casting your vote serves as your voice on issues and policies important to you. American’s democracy reflects our own unique history and traditions, as it does in other democracies around the world. In Nigeria too, democracy should respect the traditions of the Nigerian people, while honoring and reflecting the will of the Nigerian people through free, fair, transparent and orderly elections which allow for the peaceful transition from one elected government to the next. All democracies, however, should rest on key fundamental principles which most notably are freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly.
Well functioning democracies share common characteristics: free and fair elections, respect for the rule of law, open and transparent institutions of government, and effective measures to combat public and private corruption and illicit enrichment by any member of government. Those in the past who have done so should face the rule of law. Strong democracies meet the needs of their people. They invest in their people through education and health care; they ensure economic opportunity for all; and they create an environment of peace and security in which each individual can thrive. UNQUOTE
Enough said.
THE ETHNIC DIMENSION
There are four ethnic groups in America’s social fabric – White, Black, Hispanic/Latino and All Others (which include Asian and Native American populations). According to the Census Bureau, in 2000 (the last census), Whites constitute 69.1%, Blacks 12.1%, Hispanic/Latino 12.5% and All Others 6.3%. The percentage of the White Majority, particularly of the voting electorate, has been decreasing over the years. Obama’s winning coalition therefore had to cut across all ethnic groups, and particularly the young White folks many of who were voting for the first time, and do not have the ethnic inhibitions of their older generation. The Obama-Biden team was so vastly superior to the McCain-Palin team that the United States would have earned global opprobrium if Obama had lost, for it would have been assigned to simple racism.
While at one level, there are as many as 378 ethno-linguistic groupings in Nigeria, there are also four ethnic groupings – Hausa-Fulani (29%) , Yoruba (21%), Igbo (18%), and Ethnic Minorities (32%, comprised of Ijaw, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, etc ). The absence of an outrightly dominating ethnic group, the sheer size of the so-called ethnic minorities, and the geographical, cultural and religious identifications of the various groups, the lack of political-party ideologies - as well as historical and colonial legacies - clearly complicate Nigeria’s political life more than that of the USA. Nevertheless, the emergence of an ethnic minority such as Obama in a truly federal system such as the United States is a good harbinger for Nigeria and many countries in Africa – such as his own native Kenya where a winning Luo was recently denied the presidency through a stolen election - if the proper lessons can be learnt.
WHAT OBAMA’S ELECTION IS NOT TO NIGERIA AND AFRICA
Finally, Obama as president of the United States of America beginning January 20, 2008, will become arguably the most POWERFUL Black Man ever in the history of the world, as Prof. Ali Mazrui succinctly put it in a recent interview, atop the most powerful country economically and defense-wise. However, he will still just be president of the US, not of Nigeria, not of Africa, and not of the world, and his primary constituency will still be those who voted for him. Nevertheless, while there are members of the Nigerian and African Diaspora who are tax-paying citizens of the US and daily contribute to its ecumene, it will remain incumbent upon us to ensure that American foreign policy towards Africa in trade, aid, immigration and other matters becomes more enlightened and mutually beneficial, and that Obama use his good offices to be a bully pulpit to the political leaders of the continent of his father to stop their rapacious attitudes and tend more to the developmental needs of their people. So it is not yet Uhuru, but we may be closer with the election of Obama.
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