Recommended reading

Recommended reading; Online and Offline

From the man who ''almost killed'' Patrice Lumumba
I've just finished reading 'Chief of station, Congo' by ex CIA agent, Larry Delvin. Delvin was the head of the CIA station in the Congo in the sixties. His book recounts the events at the time of Congo's independence from Belgium, the death of Patrice Lumumba (Congo's first prime minister) and the emergence of Mobutu (who ruled the country for over 30 years).
Delvin attempts to justify America's 'intervention' in the Congo by claiming Lumumba was under the influence of the soviet union and claims America had to use all 'means at its disposal to block all attempts by the USSR to infiltrate, subvert, influence and dominate key areas of Africa.'
Even though he claims the CIA had nothing to do with Lumumba's death, he was ordered by Washington to find a way of getting rid of Lumumba.

He did a bad job convincing me the CIA had nothing to do with Lumumba's death, in fact it left me with the vague feeling that the CIA had a lot to do with all the upheavals happening all over the continent.

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Another OFN from OBJ.
Back in the 70s when Obj launched OFN (Operation Feed the Nation), Nigerians nicknamed the scheme Obasanjo Fools the Nation.
Fastforward some twenty something years later and it seems Obj has done another OFN, this time Obasanjo has Fleeced the Nation.
From the news:
The Amazing Wealth Of OBJ
He had a bank balance of N20,000 in 1999. But after eight years as Nigeria’s President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo will literally spend his retirement sitting on a mint, courtesy of some hugely controversial investments and land acquisitions.

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The scots employ the Mail to do the dirty on naija ; - )
From the sunday Mail:
The hidden truth behind Nigeria's £250M fight for Commonwealth Games
Nigeria's sports minister Bala Kaole reckons their bid is "in the bag".He even believes he has convinced the judging team Abuja is safer and more prosperous than Glasgow.
But airbrushed out of their glossy and colourful campaign is the plight of thousands of ordinary Africans made homeless and left poverty-stricken by the Nigerian government's obession with making Abuja the jewel in the crown.

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When oil fuels a nightmare instead of a dream
From Time Magazine:
Africa's Oil Dreams
Angola, Nigeria and Gabon. The oil industries in each are at markedly different stages. Angola's is in its first explosive flush of production, with gdp expected to grow 27% this year. Nigeria is in its prime, ranking as the world's 12th largest producer in 2006. Gabon's wells are slowly drying up. Together, these three nations trace an evolving arc of oil's effect on Africa and the world, of both its promise and its perils.

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Finally.. An Oldie but a goodie ; - )

This is a country where anything can happen
'How to be a Nigerian' was written by Peter Enahoro in 1966, since then a lot has changed but much of what he said in the book still applies today.

Reuben Abati's 2003 article, 'How To Be A Nigerian', can be described as an updated version of the book.

"To remain sane as a Nigerian, you must be religious. And you must advertise your piety. Sleep in the church. Proclaim your religiousity from the rooftops. Mention God's name in every conversation. In a land where there is so much madness, religion offers you the only opportunity to cling on to a measure of holiness. It is the only way to remind yourself that you are human after all, and that there is something that you still believe in."
[snip]

"If you are unable to cope, perhaps you may consider the option of exile. There are many Nigerians abroad eking out a living as economic refugees. Unable to cope with the many disasters of life in the country of their birth, they have fled to other countries where there is less stress and shock. To be a Nigerian, you must ordinarily learn to live with shock. This is a country where anything can happen."
The full Article