The Last Days Of Gaddafi?

A 42 years reign of terror and power intoxication has come under immense siege in 6 months, and defiant as he might be, Gaddafi must now confront his greatest fear of what life after power will be for him. The protracted uprising in Libya now appears to be meeting it's belated end. The major twist was ushered in with the rebels defying the odds to hijack the country's capital, Tripoli. It was a move few saw coming, but in a nation that has been engulfed by sheer uncertainities of late, there are indeed plenty that has eluded our sight and ridiculed our proactiveness. As if taking Tripoli was not enough to trobule the Colonel, the enthusiastic rebels stormed his home, the Bab al aziziyaa. This was an action that once seemed inconcieveable. Muammar Gaddafi remains at large, but events proves that this can only be for a while. On a different note, many have been questioning if the rebels have truly not been a joker in the hands of the West. Perhaps, it is not foolhardy to conclude that the unforseen hand is that of the West, and the loud voice, that of the rebels. It is salient to ask: What happens in a post Gaddafi Libya? With so many rebel groups currently fighting the common enemy now, what will happen when 'the mad dog of the desert' is no more? Will Libya become another Iraq or Afghanistan? Will the west, having spent a fortune not seek for means to leave Libya bankrupt? These postulations might be putting the cat before the horse as Gaddafi and his loyalists remains a real threat. However, beyond the ecstacy of the revolution, some 'home truth' has to be uncovered.

Short Story: The Dilemma Of The Black Skin!

His exictement had logic embedded in it. Several attempts to get into Harvard Law School had proved abortive in the past, and now, with one final trail, he had scaled the daunting odds that calls itself examination, and was now ready for the interview phase. The eve before his big hurdle, he basked in the company of his friends. He had a certain knack that this was his time. 'Moreover,' he poundered, 'Obama's success story has killed the racial condurum in America.' He tried to remain confidence. His rich educational prowess in Nigeria was enough to get him to his holy grail. As the day gave way to the paltry but soothing brightness only the moon can muster, Emeka laid on his bed. He tried to conjure sleep, but expectations about tommorow would not allow his head to rest in solace. He switched off the light, but sleep remained elusive. He simply gazed at the darkness and followed every movement of the clock. The big day finally came and Emeka began his earnest preparations. As he dressed himself to perfection, he heard the knob of the door hurriedly moved to the right. There was his American room mate, Jason Michael. 'Stop decieving yourself Emeka. You are black and can never be admitted into Harvard. How can't you see it?' Jason asked with an expression that made his case sound valid. Emeka remained undettered. 'I have come too far to give in to such pessimism' he muttered as he left the house swiftly. They were about 50 that came for the interview on the day, and much to his chagrin, he was the only black. He was even more stunned to know that of the 5,000 applicants that made it to the interview stage, he was the only African. 'Whatever happened to the Obama renaissance?' he rhetorically uttered. Also, all the other interviewees had their moment before him. But, he called that an oversight. Finally, his time was here. 'Emeka Nwigwe' the white secetary pronunced his name with an accent that betrayed the name. Emeka walked into the room to the twelve preying white faces that feasted on him. 'You all look scary,' he said within himself. One of the interviewers offered him a seat with a courtesy that had disdain written all over it. As he sat, he tried to keep a straight face, but fear and exictement made a meal of his looks. As they studied his resumé, he prayed within himself. Finally, one of the white faces spoke. 'For a black guy, I must say that this is an impressive application.' He took that as a compliment. 'But,' the white face continued, 'You are black and we can't guaranty the sanity and civility of you black minds. We are sorry, try applying at other universities.' Emeka felt his ears were playing pranks on him. He took a long glance at the twelve white faces, and in disbelief, he used the door. As he walked home, he saw a sticker at the back of a parked bus that read 'Goodbye to racism, this is America.' Emeka ran to the bus and to the amazement of the pedestrians, tore the sticker. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by three white police officers. As they whisked him away, he heard one of them say 'You black people are never proper humans.'

United Remains The Benchmark For Other Teams

As the awe that only Wembly conjures stood in it's glory, Sir Alex Ferguson once again, had the last and best laugh over his 'noisy neighbours.' The community shield presented a platform for both teams to give an indication of how ready and poise they are for the new season, and after 90 gruelling minutes of football artistry, it was Man United's instinct that had the better cutting edge over the expensive but incoherent Man City side. A couple of goals by City in the first period aggrevated fears over the potency of the Red Devil's new golden hands, De Gea. The 20 year old spainaird could be forgiven for naive on his debut competative match. Time should bring temerity for the youngster. However, the excesses of De Gea was the only sore point for United. The second half was a different kettle of fish. With a team with the average age of 22, United turned on the style. Their pace were electrifying and their imperious finishing reminded us why they are champions. It was a comeback that vindactes Fergie's faith in a youthful but strong team. At the other hand, Roberto Mancini's conservatism with his luxurious City side was on display again. The team undoubtedly possess the talent but lack the chemistry that champions are made of, and the stern to forge them into a formidable side. This anomaly could be ractified with time. However, for Sir Alex and United, it was a performance that will inflate their confidence, and without unequivocation, instill a certain fear in their rivals.

United Remains The Benchmark For Other Teams

As the awe that only Wembly conjures stood in it's glory, Sir Alex Ferguson yet again, had the last and best laugh over his 'noisy neighbours.' The

The Tenure Elongation Tussle

Barely two months after being saddled with the daunting task of steering the turbulent ship called Nigeria, president Goodluck Jonathan finds himself embroiled in a quagmire, one that was very much avoidable. It was a shocker that was bound to raise dust, when Nigerians woke up to find the front pages of the national dallies, all with a unanimous creed: 'Jonathan to send bill for a single six years tenure for president and governors.' Whatever his intentions were, they certainly defy logic and were very untimely. At a time when the Boko Haram puzzle was proving a hard nut to crack, one expects that president Jonathan will make that his priority. Rather, he has decided to stoke a fire, he might never be able to put off. The nation is fraughted with a plethora of ills, and the tenure elongation issue should have been down on the pecking order, at least for the moment. Perhaps, the president is bringing this up to distract us from our many problems? Perhaps, he has been ill-adviced by his new special advisers? Or does he have an ulterior motive? The permutations are more than a handful, but some of the criticisms are not unfounded. Even if one is to give the proposal a thought, some clearifications and questions are imperative and sacrosanct. What will happen to the governors that are serving their first term? Wouldn't this bring about more desperation among politicians? Moreover, even though the president has told us that he will not run in 2015, we know how power can intoxicate. The proposal might have been the brainchild of a myraid of political parties, however, for the president to accept it hook, line and sinker, questions his dexterity in office and temerity to take a stance. Only time will tell when all these will end. Yet, it goes without saying that this issue is the least of our problems at the moment.

Messi: A National Flop?

Only a cynic of the highest order, will deny the ingenuities and exquisite wizardy that Lionel Messi possesses. However, his previous and recent outings with Argentina has made many to question the potency he embodies. Indeed, Messi has nothing to prove at the club stage. His laurels with Barcelona are very enviable and intimidating. He has won every prize that club football has to offer. Having said that, Messi has continued to lose his mindas touch whenever he plays for Argentina. He toils to reinvent his magic. Several reasons have been adduced for this. The apologists maintain that Argentina lacks the ideal manager that will bring out the best in him, and that the pressure whenever he plays for the national side is so much that it can make any player crack. For the skeptics, Messi's expliots with Barcelona is a sheer product of the craftiness of Ronaldiho(when he was at Barca), Xavi and Iniesta. They insists that Messi has been lucky to have always played alongside exceptional midfielders over the years. This arguement might be extreme, but it cannot simply be dismissed as untenable. However, Messi still has age on his side, but the consensus remains that he has to prove himself with the Argentina national team before he can truly consider himself as one of the greatest that the beautiful game has ever produced.

Time Ticks For Team Jonathan

After weeks of intrigues, horse trading and sycophancy, President Goodluck Jonathan finally appionted his numerous sidekicks, charged with the daunting task of transforming the nation and creating a new lease of fresh air. The ministers and special advisers have been appointed from a plethora of men and women from different walks of life. However, some of the names on the list leaves plenty to be desired. More than a handful of them are a sheer product of Nigeria's politics of favoritism and ethnicity. However, credibility still found it way into the list. The choice of Ngozi Okonjo Iweala as Finance minister, is a masterstroke. It will be incredulous to doubt the integrity and competence of a woman that has proven herself beyound the shores of this entity. Also, appointing Reuben Abati as special adviser on media and publicity, is an exquisite decision that upholds meritocracy. Abati was before his appointment, the gaffer of Guardian newspaper editorial board. An academian per excellence, he will easily pass as the finest in his craft over the past decade. However, if fears coming from the pessimist is anything to go by, then Abati must be very cautious not to become a mere puppet. The Jonathan team is hallmarked by same faces of old. However, he deserves the benefit of the doubt to prove to us that he has assembled the best hands to finally lead us to that elusive promise land. Suffice it to say, Jonathan and his cohorts must recognize that time has started ticking for them. Thus, the aspirations of a hundred and fifty million Nigerians rests on their shoulders.