3 ways a Russia-China axis is seeking to undermine the West

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and China's President Xi Jinping arrive to a documents signing ceremony during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 8, 2015. 

As Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares to host the annual G20 summit next month, it's no secret that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be the top guest.

Come September 4, leaders of the world's biggest economies will gather in Hangzhou, China, to discuss business, trade, and a range of foreign-policy challenges.

"Russia and China now cooperate and coordinate to an unprecedented degree — politically, militarily, economically — and their cooperation carries anti-American and anti-Western ramifications," authors Douglas Schoen and Melik Kaylan wrote in "The Russia-China Axis"

"In short, there is a new Cold War in progress, with our old adversaries back in the game, more powerful than they have been for decades, and with America more confused and tentative than it has been since the Carter years."

Here's a look at a few ways the Russia-China axis operates against American and Western interests.

Glean: Infotech

Pres. Buhari tells Zuckerberg that NIgerians are not used to successful people jogging in the streets

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday commended Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook, for his simplicity, but he said successful people in Nigeria do not jog and sweat on the streets like the entrepreneur did in Lagos.

The president also commended Zuckerberg for sharing his wealth of knowledge with Nigerian youths, and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Buhari said this while receiving the Facebook chief at the state house on Friday.

“Nigeria has always been identified as a country with great potentials for growth, especially with our youthful population, but now we are moving beyond the potentials to reality,”  he said in a statement issued by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman.

“I am impressed by your simplicity in sharing your knowledge and wealth with those with less income.”

Buhari said that the simplicity and magnanimity of the entrepreneur, the world’s 6th richest man as of August 2016, had also challenged the culture of lavish wealth display and impulsive spending that had become peculiar to Nigerians.

“In our culture, we are not used to seeing successful people appear like you. We are not used to seeing successful people jogging and sweating on the streets,” he said.

“We are more used to seeing successful people in air-conditioned places. We are happy you are well-off and simple enough to always share.”

In his remarks, Zuckerberg said he was impressed by the interest, energy and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by young Nigerians in all the ICT camps that he had visited.

“I was highly impressed by the talent of the youths in the Co-creation Hub in Yaba. I was blown away by their talent and the level of energy that I saw,’’ he said.

Zuckerberg said he was in the country to promote the penetration of “fast and cheap” internet connectivity, express-wifi that would help people create online businesses and reduce poverty.

Glean: The Cable

Garba Shehu - What is President Buhari doing with the economy?

In the face of the recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics that the economy is in recession, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,  wrote this article explaining what President Buhari is doing with the economy. ‎Read below: 
LET me start by asking an important question: who wants to kill racy introspection?xxx There is a cacophony of voices telling the Muhammadu Buhari administration to close its eyes to the past; that given the enormous tasks that lie ahead, history and its consequences for our nation should be the least of the government’s preoccupation at this juncture.

I disagree. Let us keep a fiery memory of the past so that we don’t repeat its mistakes. Look back, look ahead. The future must of necessity be built on the foundations of the past.xx The Conservative Party took power in Britain six years ago from Labour. Check the British press, they are talking about Labour 24/7, is anyone complaining?

Japheth Omojuwa, one of Nigeria’s top three influencers seemed tasked in his patience reacting to calls that we must stop talking about the immediate past administration in this country.

“People are still talking about who ran governments in 1865 you want us to forget those who left government last year? (Expletive)”

Music icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who many agree was a philosopher disguised as Afro-musician taught in one of his songs that without knowing where you are coming from, you won’t know where you are going. Wise men say that the empty can doesn’t disappear by simply kicking it down the road.

To avoid repeating the past mistakes, Nigerians must come to terms with what went wrong with the past, how bad were things, what was done wrongly, what the past government should have done, before we come to what needs to be done to right those wrongs. Believe me, episodes from the Jonathan era can fill books, and other possibilities such as courtroom drama thriller. Against this backdrop, I sought to hear our erudite Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun on where we are coming from, vis-a-vis the administration’s chosen path to recovery and accelerated growth. What is the administration doing to revitalize the economy? She spoke at length on the many measures being put in place, many of which are not glamorous. They of necessity come with pain. Why should Nigerians be asked to endure pains? Why should they be asked to make adjustments?

The simple explanation is that the economy was broken, and just as they do the broken leg, you must bear the pain of fixing it. The current situation was caused by years of mismanagement and corruption. As explained by President Buhari again and again, trumpeted by Madam Adeosun and other senior officials, we solely relied on oil, the price of which was as high as US$140 per barrel. Government simply reticulated oil revenue through personal spending by corrupt leaders, wasteful expenses and salaries. This was done rather than investing in what would grow the economy. Economies grow due to capital investment in assets like seaports, airports, power plants, railways, roads and housing. Nigeria has not recorded a single major infrastructural project in the last 10 years. In short the money was mismanaged.

In addition to failing to spend money on what was needed, no savings were made by Government unlike other countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Norway. To compound the problem, the previous government was borrowing heavily and owed contractors, and international oil companies. When this government took over we had accumulated debt back to the level it was before the Paris Club Debt Forgiveness.

All these factors were building up to Nigeria heading for a major crisis if the price of oil fell. Nigeria did not have fiscal buffers to withstand an oil shock.

The oil shock should and could have been foreseen. These are matters that both the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and Professor Chukwuma Soludo, both of them eminent former Central Bank Governors had occasions to warn the government of the day about, but they were clobbered. The dire warning was written all over the wall, but they were ignored by Nigeria’s economic managers.

What should they have done?

They should have had the courage and vision to do as the present administration is doing through the Economic Team, the Ministry of Finance under Madam Adeosun and the various agencies of the state to envision a better future by first of all fighting corruption. Look at what a civilian administration is today doing to the military, investigating their finance and accounts that the military could not do to themselves.

See what the current administration is doing sanitize the huge salary bill by eliminating payroll fraud. So far, the federal payroll has been rid of about 40,000 ghost workers. More than eight billion Naira stolen monthly has been saved.

We are also saving on wasteful expenses like First Class Travel and Private jets for official trips.

The federal government is not limiting the reforms to the centre but forcing State Governments to reform their spending and build savings or investments.

Government is also increasing spending on capital projects especially on infrastructure needed to make Nigerian businesses competitive and create jobs. The administration is at the same time blocking leakages that allowed government revenues to be siphoned into private hands.

Currently, there is focus on key sectors (apart from oil) that can create jobs and or generate revenue such as Agriculture, Solid Minerals and Manufacturing. If these things had been done when the oil price was as high as US$140 per barrel, Nigeria would not be in the current predicament. We would not be suffering now if we had no cash reserves but we had regular supply of power, a good rail system, good roads and good housing.

Now that the oil has fallen as low as US$28 per barrel, it is very difficult to do what is needed but they must be done to save Nigeria. There is no other way if we want to be honest.


Glean: Linda Ikeji

New Approach To Marketing African Arts "Kenyan Scholar Seeks"

Curator of Contemporary Art at the National Museums of Kenya, Lydia Gatundu Galavu, has, in a paper she presented at the Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation, (OYASAF) centre in Lagos, Wednesday, urged African artists, curators and art collectors to focus more on displaying traditional art in contemporary African form, in order to make it attractive for potential big business, arts connoisseurs and enthusiasts as well as novice to appreciate the aesthetics, thematic relevance of such works.

She urged curators to focus on creating understanding and engendering interpretation of such arts.

In her presentation titled: “Displaying Traditional Art In Contemporary African Time”, she noted that western arts and natural history museums are not compatible with the contexts from which most traditional African arts emerged, hence, the need to pay more attention to critical analysis on the best practices for contextualizing traditional arts within Africa.

She stated that most of the traditional African arts in museums and galleries in the West, are displayed outside their original cultural context making it lose or distort its full identity and meaning.

Galavu, who was in Nigerian to conduct a pre‐study programme at OYASAF, in respect of Kenya’s first permanent art gallery, Nairobi National Museum, however urged curators and artists to avoid similar display methods for most  traditional African works, as it is done in Europe.

According to her most of the African works are not always interpreted correctly by foreigners, because they don’t have a full understanding of the intention of the artist.

She further revealed that contemporary African arts are currently at the centre of world’s attention, but with the prejudicial neo-colonial perceptions derived from early study of traditional African art persisting today, most of the works face the same predicament of misinterpretation.

In describing how Africa can use her fast growing art establishments to reform the current African art history, she disclosed that this can be facilitated through scholarship: sponsoring of students, artists, historians and curators from all over the world. This according to her will encourage the awareness and appreciation of African arts.

She also noted that art history can be propagated through patronage, by gathering art works for home museum. She said, “Artists and collectors must learn to donate to museums as a form of helping the public to develop an art appreciation culture. it can stimulate the museums cultivate in growing minds. Art history can arouse the importance of heritage and thus serve as the direct link between culture and economic development.

She however stated that arts works can be domestically promoted through education, adding that art education enhances creative thought and thus improves critical thinking in all subjects.

Glean: Union

Saudi-bound female pilgrim caught, excretes 76 pellets of cocaine

A 55-year-old female passenger’s planned pilgrimage to this year’s hajj came to an abrupt end at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, after she was arrested for alleged narcotic ingestion.

Basira Iyabo Binuyo has already excreted seventy-six (76) pellets of substances found to be cocaine, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

NDLEA officials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja also intercepted a 37-year-old father-of-three for inserting seven wraps of cocaine weighing 355 grammes in his anus.

He was on his way to China.

Drug trafficking in both Saudi Arabia and China is punishable by death.

NDLEA commander at the Azikiwe Airport Abuja, Hamisu Lawan, said Binuyo is still under observation until she expels all the ingested pellets of drugs. “Mrs Binuyo was arrested during the outward screening of passengers on an Emirate flight to Medina through Dubai. She has so far excreted seventy-six (76) pellets of drugs that tested positive for cocaine. Meanwhile, she is still under observation until the drugs are completely expelled.”

Mrs Binuyo, from Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, is said to be a trader at Dosunmu Market in Lagos. She is married with three children.

She said in her statement to the NDLEA that she “wanted to expand my cosmetic business but I have no money.

“My sponsor offered to foot my expenses to Saudi on pilgrimage. I was excited until I was asked to take drugs along. I wanted to decline but considering the offer of a million naira, I accepted. I swallowed the drugs in Lagos and took a flight to Abuja on my way to Medina but I was caught in the process.”

The other suspect was found to have inserted seven wraps of cocaine weighing 355 grammes in his anus at the MMI. He was apprehended during outward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight to Hong Kong, China through Addis Ababa.

NDLEA commander at the airport, Ahmadu Garba said that the suspect, who hails from Imo State, holds a dual citizenship of Nigeria and Mali.

He said: “He hails from Imo State but was travelling with a Malian international passport. The name on his passport is Diara Sauduo while his Nigerian name is Okpalanem Henry. The case is under investigation.”

The suspect, who expelled seven wraps of cocaine on his way to China,  said: “I know that there is capital punishment for drug trafficking in China but I was optimistic of safe passage. Unfortunately, I was caught with only seven wraps. Maybe that is my destiny. I am married with three children.”

Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (rtd.) expressed satisfaction with the arrest, stating that it is a product of diligence and vigilance. “The arrest of the suspects is commendable. We will continue to be on the alert in protecting all exit and entry points from drug trafficking organisations. I am glad that the suspects were arrested here thus preventing them from untimely death and also protecting the image of our country from disrepute.”

Glean: Nation