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From a lack of horses, we always saddle dogs, or cows, or even the ugly, scaly-backed alligator (aglnt abara hh). We do it every four years in the name of democratic elections. We choose bile as leaders then lament soon after that we are orphaned by the government.

The Arabs tell us that to understand a people, we should acquaint ourselves with their proverbs. As we lament the woes of being Nigerian and try to figure out who to vote for next year between crippling identical candidates, some snakes are providing guides across the north. They come in the form of Hausa proverbs. A friend who speaks the language forwarded them to me last week. One isKoman lalachewan akuya, ya fi kare daraja(no matter how useless the goat is, it has more value than a dog). Another ismushin rago yafi alade da an yanka(a dead ram is better than a slaughtered pig).

The Bible says that with Jesus at the Golgotha were two gentlemen: one to his right; the other to his left. Between the two, I have heard the question being asked: who was the better thief? You may have to find an answer to that question now if you intend to vote next year to elect a president for Nigeria. Up north, the above Hausa proverbs of goat and dog; of ram and pig have come handy. I am a Muslim, so I have no problem knowing that goat meat is a delicacy in Muslim homes while dog meat is haram. Again, I know that a ram not properly slaughtered may be unclean for consumption but then, it is better than a pig properly slaughtered. That is the graffiti on the political skies of the north. Some candidates attract metaphors of pig and dog; some are goat and ram. Proverbs provide hidden contexts and kicks for actions, positive and negative. In politics, they are the horses on which guns are mounted. Everyone should listen to what the proverbs are saying and to what they will say going forward to the elections.

Another cycle is here. While dark imageries of region and religion rule electoral choices in the far north, dirty naira notes thumbprint for the electorate in the south. The Ekiti election has come and gone. For me, the most interesting spectacle there was the man in a viral video who said, with all innocence, that he took N5,000 bribe from a candidate before voting. He insisted he did it for posterity(ntor oj iwj ni) and that the N5,000 was even small. They were supposed to give us N10,000. He would use the money to farm, he told his interviewer. He said so with a straight face before a rolling camera. He was not alone but he was the only one stupid enough to speak the truth. And payment for votes in that election was not about any particular party. They all did it according to the strength of their muscles. Vote buying poisons our democracy and it is reprehensible. For the voters, what I have for them is not straight condemnation; it is pity. With a very heavy heart, I understand their problem and the harlotry in their decision. Prostitutes sell what they have to have what they lack. Whatever happened in Ekiti on Saturday will happen in Osun State next month (July 16). When people heard that a vote went for as much as ten thousand naira in Ekiti, I could hear expectant palms itching in other states. This house has fallen; it collapsed a while ago. People will collect money and choose their leader; if there are reasons to lament government negligence six months later, let that time come, the reasons will take care of themselves. It is a cycle, vicious and sad.

The Ashanti of the Republic of Ghana say a good farmer will not cook the seed yam. The Yoruba of Nigeria counsel their farmer not to eat his yam seeds because next season is just one night away(mdn k jnn kni m h b sun je). But that remonstration is for the farmer who will be alive to see the next harvest. Everyone in Nigeria is sure only of the present. How do we convince very down people without hope not to sell anything within their powers to sell, including their votes? People are hungry and abandoned; they are very unsafe at the same time; none of the poor millions with PVCs is sure of being alive to enjoy whatever the new government may bring. Some will be killed by hunger; some others by herdsmen without cows; many more by princely bandits who are beyond the short arms of our law. Those who manage to be alive will become displaced, abandoned citizens. The people are convinced by their circumstances to eat the food of tomorrow in the womb of today. They will sell their votes while they wait for Nigeria to bring whatever affliction it has. If we want democracy to work, we should first take hunger and fear off the menu of the Nigerian voter. Only the living sing the praise of the Lord.

The factors of money, region and religion did their thing in 2015 and 2019 and the result is todays government of dead ducks and sinking floaters. Governments are like ducks; they exist to protect their flocks from kites and hawks. A duck that is mortally absent and exposes its children to predators is called a lame duck. Can we check what users of the English language mean when they describe a government as lame duck? Could that be what our president has become so soon? Not even the media remembered to ask why President Muhammadu Buhari was not part of the grand finale of his partys campaign in Ekiti. He was not there; in his stead was Senator Bola Tinubu, the man positioned by APC and its governors to replace Buhari in 345 days time. And were we not told that presidential democracy has no space for two presidents at a time? Nigerian politicians are foisting that on us. But that really is not my bother here. My thoughts are on how our conditions are affecting our choices and how our choices are affecting our conditions. My thoughts are also on how helpless Nigerians struggle to live through these very bad times. It is like being boxed in a troubled plane with a pilot that is not there.

On 28 December, 2008, Joe Klein, a columnist with theTime Magazine,published a review of the fading tenure of President George W. Bush whose Republican Party had just lost the presidency to Barack Obama of the opposition Democratic Party. The piece is a full definition of what a duck is supposed to be and what it is when it is lame. I quote Klein verbatim here: At the end of a presidency of stupefying ineptitude, he (Bush) has become the lamest of all possible ducks This is a presidency that has wobbled between two poles overweening arrogance and paralytic incompetence. The latter has held sway these past few months as the economy has crumbled. It is too early to rate the performance of Bushs economic team, but we have more than enough evidence to say, definitively, that at a moment when there was a vast national need for reassurance, the president himself was a cipher. Yes, hes a lame duck. Klein described his presidents disappearing act in the very middle of an economic crisis as a fitting coda to a failed presidency. His focus and his judgement sound very Nigerian. But I cannot use those words for my president and his government. I do not have the courage to do so. But day and night, I look with anger and sorrow at what we have. I see Nigerians dying for hope. I imagine a mother duck too hobbled and absent that its ducklings become targets for predators. A certain Ken Greenwald would describe this duck as not just lame but worse a dead duck a thing done up, played out, not worth a straw

Nigeria is like pepper; you pound it, you grind it, its smarting character remains its defining feature. It devalues people and their prized possessions. It is easy for the elite to condemn voters who sell their votes. English writer and Queen of Romance, Barbara Cartland, said when we judge other people, it is always by our own standards and that often prevents us from understanding them or giving them the compassion they deservethat we may denounce a thief, but how can we understand his action if we have never felt the compulsion to steal? And if we have never seen anyone we love hungry, ill and deprived. How many Nigerians will survive or are surviving these very hard times without cutting corners? Businesses are fainting and dying as diesel goes for N850 per litre and this at a time when electricity competes with the absence of government in peoples lives. Elected politicians promised to light up lives; they also pledged to power the country as had never been done before. Now, where are they? NEPA may have changed its name a million times, the name-change adds no value to it. Cost of cooking gas is setting fire to homes. Kerosene has long moved away from its friendship with the poor. Every item of survival is beyond the reach of everyone without access to the public till. Yet, there is no route for an escape. Injured hope is wheeled into the temple of the coming polls. The people are doing a count-down for the Buhari regime 345 days to go. They think the coming election will remark the script of existence for the poor. But they see that 2023 road being narrowed when they hear politicians promise to continue the legacy of this president. You know what that means for the unsafe, the hungry and the jobless? Even if the coming change will bring some progress, the election that will birth it is February next year; this plane has till May 29, 2023 to land. You and I have eleven months, ten days more of grueling turbulence without any reassuring action in the cockpit.

We have had seven years of a hideous game of blames and of overweening arrogance and paralytic incompetence. We will have one more year of both, and even more years of the same, if the successor is as wobbled as what we have. And it looks like it. The child of a duck is a floater; snakes always give birth to snakes. I heard Tinubu, the man who wants to lead Nigerias two hundred million for the next eight years after Buhari, say something suggestive of business as usual. In his acceptance speech after his nomination, and in a letter to the president this past weekend, he spoke about erecting his structure on Buharis foundation and that the country is in trouble today because the PDP, in its 16 years, depleted our resources and left us with hunger. Playing the blame game. They all do it. If the PDP wins in February, there is no guarantee that it also wont mint blame as dividend of peoples investment in its election. It is the system we run the fault always lies in others. You know what the toad did when it missed its way to the stream? It hopped into the valley of mirage to fetch illusions for its thirsty community. Robert Kiyosaki, author ofRich Dad, Poor Dadsaid when people are lame, they love to blame.

Those are very true words. We will continue to be ruled by excuses and the country ruined by blames. It is the logical harvest from a field of diseased seeds. This democracy is dying and will die unless we move fast to give the people back their lives. We cannot win the 21st century race of progress with a team of cross-party cripples. Sadly, that is what our democracy offers and we can all feel it.

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Sold votes and a dead-duck democracy - Tribune Online

Bill Maher has a beef with Millennials, specifically those who inhabit the newsroom of the Washington Post.

Reviewing the recent Twitter war between WaPo reporter Felicia Sonmez and the other members of that newsroom a flame battle that eventually saw Sonmez fired and another reporter put on a months leave without pay Maher said the joke tweet that instigated it was something that has been going on for eons. Yet the unlicensed daycare center that is the newsroom didnt find the humor in it.

Can you imagine a world that allows jokes you dont like? Of course, the leadership folded like a Miami condo, he said, falling back on the tired trope that the tweet did not reflect the institutions values, free speech not being one of them.

Maher thenbroadened the WaPo conflict into a larger takedown of the generation that now is coming into its own in the workplace as Baby Boomers retire.

You think my generation is an eyeroll, Maher said. Let me tell you about the younger generation. Your sense of entitlement is legendary, he said, also attacking your attention span and work ethic, specifically the unqualified little shit who doesnt understand why hes not a producer yet. He added that the WaPo story had such resonance because we all know the stereotypical players in it.

Millennials complain that they havent taken over yet, Maher said. But thats because the Boomers are reluctant to turn the world over to them for incidents like the WaPo wars.

The crybabies are still winning, Maher said. They complain they havent taken over yet. The fact that the Posts response was to punish one of their best reporters shows the kindergarten is still in charge.

In 1972, the Watergate break-in happened, a story basically scooped by the WaPo. I have to wonder how the Posts newsroom of today would handle that. All this time blubber-tweeting. Dont you have anything better to do? Arent you supposed to be reporters digging up stuff? This is why youre not in charge. If someone named Deep Throat called today and wanted to meet, this crew of emotional hemophiliacs would have an anxiety attack and report to HR they didnt feel safe.

Maher did take hope in the fact that the WaPo eventually did fire Sonmez. Maybe theres a line. That generation has to find that line and move it closer to sanity. Because democracy dies in dumbness.

Earlier, Mahers guest was Emmy winning writer Danny Strong, producer of the Hulu limited seies Dopesick, about the opioid epidemic. His strongest moment was when he insisted that members of the Sackler family absolutely should face prison time for their manufacturing role and lies in the opioid crisis.

The panel discussion was dominated by podcaster Krystal Ball, a far leftist who would hardly let Maher or guest author and James Kirchick talk.

The most interesting moment of the talk was when Maher was asked whether he thought Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would be better than ex-President Donald Trump. Yes, I do, he said. He wont be poop-tweeting and having feuds with Bette Midler.

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Bill Mahers Real Time Blasts Washington Post Twitter Wars: Democracy Dies In Dumbness - Deadline

The internet is arguably the best invention of the past few decades that has changed humanity for good. There are so many benefits of the internet and it has such a huge impact on our lives that without it we cannot imagine our lives.

All over the world, the internet has played a vital role in improving the lives of people and the same is true for African nations including Ghana. The internet has made life much easier, more comfortable, and everything more easily accessible than it used to be. To continue this discussion, we will be discussing some of the ways in which the internet has impacted the lives of people in Ghana.

The first way in which the internet has improved the lives of people in Ghana is by making news and other information easily accessible. Through the internet, one can access websites in just a few taps that provide users with both domestic and international news. In Ghana, the number of mobile phone and laptop users has increased which has resulted in a decline in printed newspapers since people can access the news and other information that they need through smart devices.

Along with news, other information is also readily accessible on the internet. Whether you need some study material, guides such as the router configuration guide via 192.168.0.1, modem configuration through 192.168.1.1, web development courses, app development courses, or any other kind of information, everything is readily accessible on the internet.

Banking was something that was a difficult task in Ghana and the whole of Africa but since the introduction of internet banking by banks, banking has become easier than ever. With internet banking, all the banking activities can be done over the internet without having to visit the bank.

Through the internet, a customer can access his bank account, get account statements, make transactions, and deposit money into his account in no time. Internet banking has made it so easy for Ghanaians and they no longer have to wait in long lines just to make a simple transaction or get their account statement.

There are also dedicated mobile apps that have made banking further easier. One can easily perform all the banking activities from a handheld device thanks to the internet without even having to leave the room.

The internet has further improved the lives of people in Ghana by providing online shopping services. E-commerce services are available across the world including Ghana and people can buy anything from the internet, from home appliances and electronic devices to clothing goods.

E-commerce has made shopping easier not only in Ghana but all around the world. Customers no longer have to physically visit the store and hustle around different shops to buy the one product that he is looking for.

With online shopping, not only are there discounts and deals but customers can also compare prices across different e-commerce stores to find the best prices. There are different popular e-commerce stores in Ghana such as Zoobershop, Kaymu, etc that have made shopping much easier for the people of Ghana.

Communication has been made simpler and easier, thanks to the internet. We have witnessed a huge change in the way we connect with people and communicate. There was a time when landline phones and letters were used for communication but thanks to the internet and its wide range of applications, we can communicate with people from any part of the world in real-time.

We have social media platforms, instant messaging apps, and other applications of the internet by which communication has completely changed. We can now see and hear a person in any part of the world thanks to the internet. Real-time communication, which used to be a dream only, is just a few taps away thanks to the internet.

The internet has also provided a platform through which multiple businesses are increasing their brand awareness. Digital marketing has become the most used method of marketing, taking over TV, radio, and print media marketing. Internet advertising and marketing have beat traditional methods of marketing because of their cost-effectiveness.

In Ghana, companies have adopted digital marketing to ripe its enormous benefits. Not only is digital marketing and advertising cheaper than traditional methods of marketing but it is also effective as the word reaches out to more people through the internet compared to radio stations or newspapers. Businesses in Ghana and all over the world are now using internet marketing to increase their customers, get more leads, and convert those leads into sales.

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How Has The Internet Impacted The Lives in Ghana? - News Ghana

Iraq temporarily closed Baghdad airport Monday as choking clouds of dust blanketed the capital, the latest crippling sandstorm in a country that has warned climate change poses an "existential threat".

It was the tenth such storm since mid-April to hit Iraq, which has been battered by intense droughts, soil degradation, high temperatures and low rainfall linked to climate change.

Earlier this month, to mark World Environment Day, President Barham Saleh warned that tackling climate change "must become a national priority for Iraq as it is an existential threat to the future of our generations to come".

The sun eventually reappeared on Monday afternoon, after a thick white dust had covered Baghdad and surrounding areas through the morning, with visibility slashed to a few hundred metres (yards).

Officials at Baghdad airport announced the temporary suspension of flights, before they were restarted at around 10:30 am (0730 GMT).

In Najaf, a Shiite holy city in central Iraq, the airport briefly suspended operations in the morning before reopening a few hours later when the dust passed.

Airports have been forced to suspend flights several times due to sandstorms in recent weeks.

In May, sandstorms sent thousands of people to hospital with respiratory problems, and left one person dead.

Iraq, which is entering the scorching summer season when temperatures at times surpass 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), is ranked by the United Nations as one of the world's five most vulnerable nations to climate change and desertification.

The environment ministry has warned that over the next two decades Iraq could endure an average of 272 days of sandstorms per year, rising to above 300 by 2050.

The World Bank warned in November that Iraq could suffer a 20 percent drop in water resources by 2050 due to climate change.

Water shortages have been exacerbated by the building of upstream dams in neighbouring Turkey and Iran.

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Iraq swept by tenth sandstorm in weeks - Al-Monitor

The Iraqi Electricity Ministry has begun paying off its debts for gas imports from Iran that were hindered due to the US sanctions on the Islamic Republic since.

Iranian Petroleum Minister Javad Oji said on Wednesday that the country received $1.6 billion of the debts after aspokesman for Iraqi Electricity Ministry, Ahmed Moussa, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Tuesday that Baghdad would pay the debt within two days.

The Iraqi spokesman issued a statement stressing the necessity to pay the Iranian gas debts overdue since 2020to prevent a decrease in the quantities of gas flow to the country.

He also thanked Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimifor his care, direct supervision, and the role of the parliament, which understands the countrys dire need of electricity.

US banking sanctions imposed on Iran hindered payments by Iraq although Iran on many occasions announced receipt of payments.

Last Wednesday, the Iraqi parliament passed an emergency finance bill for "food security and development" -- totaling 25 trillion Iraqi dinars, approximately over $17 billion -- to pay debts to Iran to ensure gas supplies and stop worsening power cuts. Of that, $2.6 billion will be allocated to settling Iraq's gas and electricity debts, as well as for buying further energy supplies from abroad.

Despite its immense oil and gas reserves, Iraq remains dependent on imports to meet energy needs, especially from neighboring Iran, which currently provides a third of Iraq's gas and electricity needs.

Iran had demanded Iraq pay $1.6 billion it owes for gas imports by the start of June to guarantee further supplies, as it is cutting or reducing supplies regularly due to its own shortages.

Excerpt from:
Iraq Reportedly Starts Paying Its Debts For Gas Imports From Iran -