Why Trump’s Election May Signal Even Harder Times Ahead for Africa

 In August 2016, I wrote an article advising my fellow African Americans to dump the Dems and elect Donald Trump.

Most Black voters probably ignored my actual advice, but many sided with me by default. Yes, Donald Trump took the so-called blue wall states of North Carolina and Pennsylvania. But I think more people opted to stay home rather than play an active role in electing Hillary Clinton, thereby denying her most sought after life ambition- the honor of being called “Madame President.”

Still, for the first time in my adult life living in America, I was forced to see just how many Americans were willing to compromise their own values to vote a party ticket, even if it meant electing someone they claimed not to trust.

The C-Word

In America, whenever a public figure is under investigation for corruption, other high-profile individuals know to keep their distance. Associations are meaningful in the eyes of the public and no one wants to be affiliated with a corrupt politician.

But in Mrs. Clinton’s case, the Democrats had already put all their “political eggs” in the her basket. So, despite the looming investigation for alleged corruption – the mishandling of resources at the Clinton Foundation and utter disregard for national security with that entire private email debacle – the Democrats had no choice but to continue to throw their support behind a candidate whose credibility was quickly diminishing amongst voters.

Donald Trump abhors corruption. He said of Hillary Clinton several times that "the Democratic candidate is corrupt, and the DNC is shielding her.”

Trump has also called out African leaders, labeling them as corrupt. "They steal their people's money and come to Western countries to hide and squander the money.”

There is truth to his accusation, which is why I believe African nations are in for a rude wake up call.

How (and Why) African Leaders Powered Africa’s Massive Failure

African leaders do not want progress for their people. It’s easier to control people when they can barely eat three square meals a day and are fully dependent on the generosity of the few elites who control the government apparatus (not to mention the government purse). Yes, that’s my personal opinion, but it’s an informed opinion based on my direct experience lobbying the US government on behalf of the Nigerian government.

From 2010 to 2011, I lobbied the US government for Nigeria, my country of origin. My goal was to get the US to assist in helping the Nigerian government install the infrastructure needed to generate electricity for all of Nigeria.

In September 2011, the US government approved $1.5 billion in funding to help generate power in Nigeria. That should have been a huge win, and I was excited to see the tide finally turning in Nigeria’s favor. But there was one problem: Nigeria never actually accepted the money. Not one penny of it.

Why not?

Well, because Nigerian leaders know they must use that money for its intended purpose. I didn’t realize during my lobbying days that Nigerian leaders aren’t interested in having access to funds they can’t steal.

In 2014, President Obama initiated his Power Africa Program; the results have not been favorable. The Financial Times reported, “Barack Obama’s power program makes slow progress,” and a Bloomberg headline was even worse: “Obama’s African power plan falls short, leaving continent in the dark.”

Africa was in the dark long before Obama thought to help them. And my fear is that Africa will remain in the dark for years to come.

I learned the hard way, if you cannot show Nigerian governors and ministers how they will personally benefit from your humanitarian efforts, the best interest of the Nigerian people alone is not enough to incentivize them.

These days, I think back on all my efforts, going back and forth to Nigeria; I truly believed I could help. Of course, now I know the proverbial saying that “you can only help someone who wants to be helped” is as true for one person, as it is of an entire government.

Eventually, I gave up. And Nigeria is still in darkness.

Corrupt African Leaders Stifle Economic Growth Across the Continent

In the last three to four years, most world economies grew by one, two or even three percent. Africa's economy shrank by three to eight percent, depending on the African country in question.

There is only one reason for that: Corrupt and despotic leaders have failed the African people year after year. The only difference is, this time they will not be able to look to the West for rescue.

There is a new Sheriff in town and he hates corrupt leaders.

For President-Elect Trump to help Africans would mean pandering to their corrupt leaders. The truth is, he will probably choose to ignore Africa rather than engage its leaders.

In the past, Western policies specifically ignored corrupt African leaders for one simple reason – it’s easier to ignore them than to change them. The mission was to foster East-West policies and contain the so-called socialists and communists threats of the world. In a very real sense, Western countries who chose to do business with African countries had to pick their battles.

Today, we operate in a global economy where there is neither East or West. There is only the Market. You would think with that being the case, African nations would have a distinct advantage over other nations.

Here’s a smart fact for your thoughtful review: Africa controls over thirty percent of the world's natural resources. These are the same resources that created the wealth of nations like the US, Russia, Australia, and China, to name a few. Even countries that have no resources, like Japan, Singapore and South Korea - which Nigeria should most certainly be wealthier than - have managed to get their hands on these natural resources to develop their economies.

So, how is Africa overflowing with third world countries and only a handful of developing nations? I will refer you back to poor leadership. Too many African leaders simply prefer a life of stealing, and hiding their stolen money in Western countries for frivolous enjoyment.

Donald Trump's foreign policy was obvious the day he announced his candidacy:No No more unnecessary wars. No more underwriting of NATO countries that cannot contribute to their own defense.

No propping up corrupt regimes in the Arab world.

Our days of policing the world are nearing their close. As Trump said, “We will stop looking to topple regimes and overthrow governments.” According to his count, the US government has wasted trillions of dollars in the Middle East and “enough is enough.”

The candidacy and election of Donald Trump signals to the world that Americans are tired of fighting everyone's war but their own. Our middle class is decimated; the Chinese are eating our lunch every day. We need our money working for us here if we’re to ever make America great again.

Consider This The Official Wakeup Call: The End Has Arrived

Eight years ago, I wrote an article about how Nigeria will lose once America becomes energy independent. "Obama's dream is Nigeria's nightmare" that prediction has come to pass and I followed up my initial piece with "Obama's dream realized, Nigeria's nightmare just began."

In the first article, I echoed the words of Raul Pal of Global Macro Investor, who predicted that oil could go down to $30 dollars per barrel. That article was written two years before oil took a dive in world markets.

For the next four years (at least), I believe African countries will be left to their own devices. They should no longer look for foreign aid. But if aid should arrive, they should consider it an anomaly.

Oil is a commodity upholding the economies of several African nations, and it may well go down to $20 a barrel when America unleashes its new energy policy under President-Elect Donald Trump. One look at the new Trump Administration lineup will quickly reveal Trump’s intentions.

Trump has pegged Rex Tillerson, Exxon Mobil CEO as Secretary of State. Tillerson knows where every barrel of oil is hidden in every well across the globe. The Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has stated that the US will unleash its oil technology to create more wealth and more jobs for the American people.

Who can forget the Tea Party’s mantra of yester years, “Drill, baby. Drill!” Coincidentally, Trump’s new Energy Secretary and former Texas governor, Rick Perry,  is a Tea Party stalworth.

America has already begun dismantling the barriers and regulations preventing drilling. Oil is on the verge of dropping to prices we have not seen in decades. At $10 per barrel, some African country will probably cease to exist.

So, then. What will happen to Africa?

One thing is clear. Don't look up to Trump for rescue. It’s back to the business of running America. No corrupt politicians in his administration. No lifelong politicians. Just great business minds.

So, good luck Africans.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO FISH- Don't just give them fish

Ade's fist catch. 

The Wilmot House Before

When  my son was six years old, I taught him how to fish.

When he caught his first fish, it was bigger than any fish I ever caught. That is life. We always want out children to go to greater heights than we have been. Now that my son is twenty years old, I am teaching him how to catch even bigger fish.


So far, he is on his third house rehab project. This is an opportunity that very few children get with their parents. Every time I look at my son, I just remember my dad's words to me since I was a little boy. "I will see you to where you have no fear of man" That meant, I will give you the support, the education, and the means to stand on your own once you become of age.

I think every father or mother owes it to their child, boy or girl, to see them through where they have no fear of man, except God.  Last week, at 8pm, I told my eleven year old daughter that we needed go to one of the properties I just bought. She did not understand why. So I explained it to her. I said, Pumpkin, (my pet name for my daughter Kemi) you have to know where the money comes from. I just got this house, the grass is all dry there, I need to water it at night so that the water can soak in the ground before the sun comes out the next day.

Therefore, it gives me great pleasure that I can bring my children into my world and prepare them for the future that goes beyond regular schooling. Yes, everyone needs an education, but being an entrepreneur is a skill and a passion that comes with some form of indoctrination. I learned it from my mom and dad.

The Wilmot House After

I remember when I had to wake up at 5am and walk with my dad to his business office while carrying his briefcase at age ten. I remember when I had to walk a few miles with my uncle every month when I was twelve to collect rent from my dad's tenants.

I remember those days I had to wake up at 5am every Saturday when I was only eight years old to follow my mom to the market to sell her goods. We usually catch two or three buses with heavy loads hauled between bus stations to get to the market. We usually don't get back home till 6 or 7pm at night.

That is 12 hours straight of me standing in front of my mom's stall trying to persuade everyone that passes by to buy my mom's  fabrics compared to the marketer in the next stall.

That is where I honed my entrepreneurial skills. It is now ingrained in me and I owe it to my children to give them the same skills.

Whether they use it or  not, does not matter. But I must give them the skill. What they do with it is left to them.

As parents, it's our duty to pass on to our children any skill that can help them survive and or thrive in the future.

So I am glad my son is very enthusiastic about my real estate business.

As to Pumpkin, she does not know yet. She said to me the other day, "I don't like the Wilmot house. I asked her why and she said, "it's only one story dad, if you buy a two story, you can sell it for more".  At least she is starting to relate in terms of space and volume. Two stories, twice as much money. Way to go Pumpkin. So now I am looking for a two story house so Pumpkin can run up and down and imagine twice the return.

My message here is that what ever you do, you should try to get you children involved or at least introduce them to how things work.

How they relate and what they can expect as they move into adulthood.

Pumpkin at the Wilmot House

I am proud of what my son has achieved in the last four months handling three real estate flips. Most veteran investors don't even get a chance to do a flip in their first three years, let alone three in four months.

For that I am grateful and thankful that I am fulfilling
my role as a dad. I hope every father or mother out there can do the same for their children. Here are some of the flips my son recently worked on.. Before and after...

Black Folks Need to Stop Blindly Voting Dum-o-crat and Put Trump In Office

Donald J. Trump

Black Folks Need to Stop Blindly Voting Dum-o-crat and Put Trump In Office

When will black folks stop kowtowing to the great and mighty Democratic Party? Every election, it’s the same thing: Droves of African Americans head to their respective polling places and sacrifice our futures on the altar of a party ticket. Democrat. Democrat. Democrat. Democrat. All the way down the line.

Occasionally, you may stop to read the names when two Dems are vying for a single category and you have to remember, of the two who showed up at your church to “worship” which one you liked more.  But other than that... Democrat. Democrat. Democrat.

Today, I pose to you the question I ask every four years: For all of our loyalty and undying allegiance, what is it that the Democrats have actually done for the black community, let alone for America?

Now, if you happen to be a member of the LGBT community, I can understand why you may be voting Democrat this election. I think we can all run down a pretty impressive list of what Obama did for the gay community. In fact,  The Human Rights Campaign has a fantastic download available that outlines what the Obama Administration has done specifically for the LGBT community year-by-year since he took office.  Here are a few of the more memorable Obama wins for the LGBT community:

●     Repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (which was instituted by Bill Clinton’s Administration in the 1990s, by the way)

●     Nominated and/or appointed a talented list of officials who are openly gay, openly transgender, or otherwise recognized members of the LGBT community.

●     Instituted laws that allow same-sex couples to legally take advantage employment and federal benefits such as survivor benefits, long-term care insurance and time off for Family and Medical Leave Act

●     Legalize same-sex marriage nationwide

Heck, the president even took a trip to Kenya during which he attempted to persuade the Kenyan president to do more to protect gay Kenyans. And who can forget the rainbow White House? The Dems certainly seem to push adamantly for the LGBT community.

I’d also like to point out that if you happen to be Syrian or Afghan, you may also feel a certain appreciation for Obama and the Dems. Afterall, he spent billions of our tax dollars to prevent Syrian President Assad and the Taliban from killing their own people. The president sent US soldiers into Syria after saying he wouldn’t. So, we can easily celebrate Obama’s commitment to Syria.

But what about African Americans?

The Trouble with Letting Well-Enough Alone

The Washington Post reports that since 1972, 85% of black voters have voted Democrat in presidential elections. The problem here is I think most of us would be hard-pressed to run down a similar list of changes the Democrats have  made over the last decade or so that have so positively and directly impacted the black community like the ongoing and persistent changes made to help the LGBT community.

Why is that? Without being able to readily identify what the Democrats have done for us, why are 85% of black Americans consistently voting Democrat?

I can only guess that black folks are patiently waiting their turn (as many have been conditioned to do), anticipating change in the sweet by-and-by.  Well, I’ve got news for you: Change ain’t coming. Not through a Democrat.

Forgive me if I sound irreverent, but no reverence is due here. Thank you for Obamacare and thanks for helping the country to get back on its feet (or knees, depending on where you happen to live) after the financial crisis. While Wall Street has been steadily rebounding, Main Street is still hurting. And the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevards of this nation are still in a downward spiral.

So, I want to provoke black voters to think and seriously weigh the consequences of voting Democrat this election. There are always consequences when electing a new leader. As you head to the polls, consider these points:

●     If we have billions available to fight ISIS, we at least had millions that could have been used to calm the violence that has plagued Chicago over the past eight years. Between 2005 and 2015 a total of 71 Americans were killed in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil while 301,797 were killed by gun violence during the same period.

●     If there was a bailout for big banks (who are still dabbling in subprime loans, only now the lending is for auto loans), there damn sure was money to create tax incentives to compel businesses to invest in inner cities and employ blacks, therefore strengthening urban communities, curbing unemployment, and reducing crime. But time and again in predominantly black cities like Detroit, and Washington DC, blacks are systematically moved out of the city and young whites are recruited to move in to “revitalize” the area

●     If the Obama Administration can sit down with members of the LGBT community to organize a strategy to fight for equality in the LGBT community, how is it acceptable for Hillary Clinton to dismiss Black Lives Matter by telling them they need to be more strategic, offer no practical assistance, then turn around months later and want to leverage the Black Lives Matter movement (and by leverage I mean mentioning the movement in public speeches and smiling for photo ops) to court the black vote?

●     And where were the Democrats when Flint’s water system was being poisoned for years? Where are they now? Every child in Flint who drank that water had lead-contaminated blood. Every single child. Obama’s pep talk to Flint residents in May of this year and his symbolic drinking of the filthy water doesn’t compare to the years and years of contamination residents have had to endure. That’s not help!

I will admit Obama has used his executive powers to commute the sentences of hundreds of nonviolent prisoners who received overly harsh penalties or who were jailed under outdated laws that no longer exist. But many of the thousands of African American men and women who still remain in prison after already serving years and even decades for nonviolent drug offenses are there because of the Clinton Administration, and you better believe Hillary had her say.

Former Federal Judge Nancy Gertner

To quote Former Federal Judge Nancy Gertner, "We as a society destroyed the lives of a generation of Black folks by the draconian drug and minimum mandatory laws we enacted in the nineties,” she said. “It eliminated a generation of African American men, covered our racism in ostensibly neutral guidelines and mandatory minimums… and created an inter-generational problem…”

I hope she dropped the mic after her speech.

In a justice system that’s already broken and far more likely to disproportionately punish blacks more severely, Clinton’s decision to make the drug penalties stiffer could hardly be considered a win for African Americans. Thousands were imprisoned and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 that Clinton signed into existence prevented prison inmates from using grant money to earn a college degree to help re-integrate them into society.

Now weigh the hundreds freed decades later by one Democrat against the thousands still incarcerated at the hands of another Democrat.

After 44 years of voting Democrat, let me remind you of what we have to show for it:

●     Black unemployment rates top 11%

●         Black youth unemployment rate swings between 25-50%

●     Black homeownership rate is 45% versus 70% for whites

●     Black household wealth $6,446 vs $91,405 for Whites

●     Black median household income $35,416, versus the median household income for whites, which is $59,754

●     Black poverty rate is one in four , while fewer than one in 10 whites live in poverty

Source: CNN Money

In a previous post, I asked Americans to truly ponder whether the president can use his office to solve some of the above problems that plague African Americans. Today, I’m asking you to ponder what the Democratic Party as a whole has done to effect positive change in the African American community in the last 50 years.

The NAACP organized a network of national boycotts that directly led to the elimination of institutionalized segregation. The Black Panthers fed families and provided supplies for poor mothers on a local, grassroots level. The government adopted that program and now calls it WIC.  What have the Dems done for African Americans? For America?

What Say You?

In another 12 weeks, we will elect a new president, quite possibly doing the same things we’ve always done but hoping for a new outcome. Insanity. I imagine no political relationship makes this statement ring truer than the love affair black people have with the Democratic Party.

Some would say it’s better to deal with a devil you know than one you don’t know. That is called passivity. And it’s counter-productive. We know the outcome of electing another Democrat to office is going to be little to no change. In spite of the fact that experts are bracing for another financial crisis, many voters truck on as if what has happened yesterday is what will be tomorrow. Not so.

Every presidential candidate makes promises; some the new president will keep, some he will not. But one thing all of us have to remember in this tumultuous time in America where the media is intentionally broadcasting controversies and atrocities in order to provoke (and perhaps distract) masses of Americans:

No American president is all-powerful. That’s not how we run our government.

As much as you may love Obama, you saw time and again that his policies were halted when he couldn’t get them through the Senate. Heck, we’re still waiting on a ninth supreme court justice to replace Justice Scalia, who died in February 2016.

The media tries to make Donald Trump out to be the most ignorant, self-interested bigot in the world. But if he wins, he will still have his administration advising him, his party calling the shots, and Congress with which to contend.

In short, forget about the wall. Forget about testing Muslims and barring them from the country. Forget about the other shenanigans Trump has said just to stay on your TV screen during every single 30-minute news cycle. Vote the party that will keep America the land of opportunity it has been for the past 150 years.

Vote for the party that will create jobs, tighten our fiscal belt (so we stay off the fiscal cliff), reduce taxes, and help grow our economy.

I believe that party is the Republican Party. What say you?

Toyin Dawodu, former Republican, free-thinking Independent  (Reprints permission generously granted)

Who Should Really Get the Black Vote- Democrats or Republicans?

You have heard the proverbial saying: The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. I imagine no political relationship makes this statement ring truer than the love affair black people have with the Democratic Party.

After 50 years of voting Democrat, let me remind you of what we have to show for it:

•        Black unemployment rates top 11%
•          Black youth unemployment rate swings between 25-50%
•          Black home ownership rate is 45% versus 70% for whites
•          Black household wealth $6,446 vs $91,405 for Whites
•     Black median household income $35,416, versus the median household income for whites, which is $59,754
•          Black poverty rate is one in four , while fewer than one in 10 whites live in poverty

•                                                                                               Source: CNN Money

As we stand poised to elect another president of this fine country, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on the ballot, hat in hand, begging for the Black vote.

Well, I have a question for you, Mrs. Clinton: Why on earth would we vote for you?

Thousands of black men are in jail right now, serving life sentences because of the policy of mandatory minimum sentences you and your husband, former President Bill Clinton, put in place. You virtually wiped out an entire generation of black men, between the drugs that overflow in urban areas and the harsh sentences passed down for possession of those same drugs, there is an ungodly number of black children needlessly growing up without their fathers.

Here is a quote from Former Federal Judge Nancy Gertner, who is now trying to make amends by helping the people she unjustly incarcerated under the mandatory minimum sentence laws:

"We as a society destroyed the lives of a generation of Black folks by the draconian drug and minimum mandatory laws we enacted in the nineties,” she said. “It eliminated a generation of African American men, covered our racism in ostensibly neutral guidelines and mandatory minimums… and created an inter generational problem…”

Apparently, this judge is honorable enough to want to atone for her misdeeds. Judge Gertner is recommending a form of marshal plan to rebuild neighborhoods destroyed by this war on drugs that was disproportionately aimed at black neighborhoods.

What about Hillary Clinton? When will she atone for her part in the policy that ripped apart black families and imprisoned thousands of black men over a drug our government has since legalized in 29 states? Hillary Clinton hasn’t said a mumbling word about this grave injustice, yet she expects black people to show up for her in droves at the polls.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Rand Paul, who may have never received a single black vote is far miles ahead of Mrs. Clinton in seeking a re-write of the laws that unjustly imprisoned black men. At the very least, his willingness to publicly address this problem proves that he is well aware that the Republican Party can no longer take the Black vote for granted.

The Democratic Party, on the other hand, assumes it will get the black vote, so candidates dance around important topics. Why wouldn’t they? Black voters aren’t giving them a compelling reason to work to resolve these issues.

For 50 years, the party has courted black leaders during election time - visiting churches, kissing babies, showing up for the occasional award show or NAACP dinner, or Black Caucus prayer breakfast. Some of the faces are different, but they haven’t deviated from the script: Make loads of promises without the slightest intention of keeping them. Get the votes, get into office then either ignore Black America altogether or come up with excuses as to why you cannot keep your promises. They will understand.

And it happens every four years, like clockwork.

So my question to Black America is how many times are you going to fall for this same old trick?

In the 1990s, former President Bill Clinton won the distinction of being called the first black president. I will concede that Clinton is intelligent, charming and well-spoken. But what exactly has he done for us that warrants such an accolade? We have an actual black president now that hasn’t done much for us either except be intelligent, charming, well-spoken and a great actor (I’ve seen his hilarious BuzzFeed video).

But great jokes, late night talk show appearances and viral videos is not what the black community needs. But here they come again, the Democrats, ready to make and break more promises, I presume. And they may do it again! It’s been four years and suddenly Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Sanders and Vice President Biden are showing up on our radars yet again, aligning themselves with marquee names in the black community.

Will black youth vote this time around? These are young men and women who know what it’s like to grow up without a father because many of their fathers are doing 10 to 20 years for marijuana possession because of laws the Clintons enacted in the 1990s. These are the ones who understand what it is to struggle to find a job - any job - and try to succeed in college when their underfunded schools have intentionally left them unprepared for college success.

Will they feel compelled to vote? What’s more, will they vote Democrat?

The forerunners for the Democratic nomination - Bernie Sanders, current Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - are expecting black people to turn out in droves to continue the tradition of voting Democrat. For those who have traditionally voted Democratic for Democrat’s sake, it’s time to carefully examine the credibility of each candidate and make a thoughtful decision on who can be trusted to keep their word and who cannot.

Even for the few candidates who did not directly have a hand in writing the laws that incarcerated thousands of black men, young and old, for a crime that no longer exists, we must ask every candidate, regardless of party affiliation:

What did you do to stop it then? What are you doing to fix it now? What have you done for us lately? And what do you plan to do after you get our votes?

And wait for them to have a real answer that includes a well-developed strategy.

By Toyin Dawodu, former Republican, now free-thinking independent

BLACK IN AMERICA- DANGEROUS AND SCARY!

"Justice is the Fundamental law of society."-Thomas Jefferson 1816

There are times when I have to wonder if I am really living in the land of the free or the home of the brave. How can I be free if I can’t walk the streets without fear? How can we be the home of the brave? A brave man would never behave so despicably.

I feel compelled to speak up and say what is true and what is right. As the father of a teenage son and a ten year-old daughter, I cringe at the thought of having them grow up in this society. I can’t imagine holding my peace upon learning that some squeamish cop shot my son in the back and is now claiming self-defense, or that some bigoted redneck who coddles his own little girl has seen fit to brutalize my baby girl by throwing her to the ground and leveling his full weight on claiming he could not control an 80-pound middle schooler.

Last week, my wife and ten year-old daughter were stopped by a police officer here in Riverside, where I’ve lived for the past two decades. It was a typical traffic stop for a simple infraction but as the officer walked toward the car, my young daughter began to panic.

“Is he going to shoot us?"

Armed and Dangerous: A Police Story

Those are the words my daughter asked my wife, and as heart-breaking as it seems, she had a valid question. I cringe at the thought of my teenage son finding himself in a similar predicament.

My wife diffused my daughter’s fear by telling the officer that she was afraid, then by making room for the officer to ease her fears. “She thinks you are going to shoot her,” my wife told the officer and she politely explained that she is not going to shoot them, but that there were some driving laws broken and my wife would get a ticket.

If you have been watching the headlines, you already know that in the past several weeks, two instances of police brutality have made the news and ruffled some feathers in the eyes of a public that is already on-edge and deeply distrustful of the police.

Most recently a teenaged boy was wrestled to the ground by five police officers (some reports say nine) in Stockton, California for allegedly jaywalking. This use of force comes on the heels of the brutal (and wrongful) arrest of retired tennis pro James Blake.

In the hours following news that Freddie Gray’s family saw some measure of justice for Gray’s murder by the police, we have yet another high-profile case of police brutality caught on film, as retired pro tennis player James Blake was attacked by plainclothes New York police officer James Frascatore without warning as Blake stood outside a hotel waiting to make a corporate appearance at the U.S.

Open.

After 34 years living in the Land of the Free, I am overcome with feeling of mistrust for those who have taken an oath to protect and serve.

I could be out enjoying time with my children and some over-eager, lawless officer could arrest, or even kill me in front of them. He would end up on desk duty while his cronies investigate the case and my children would have to start the process of piecing their lives back together in a new reality that doesn’t include their father.

What kind of freedom is that?

What happened to police officers first identifying themselves? What happened to getting the opportunity to identify yourself (in the case of the ever-popular excuse of a victim “matching the description” of someone else - someone who also would not deserve to be mistreated and their rights denied them).

There is no way you can convince me that Frascatore’s attack on Blake was anything short of felonious assault. Add to that the fact that Frascatore has a documented history of striking and illegally arresting citizens of New York. He’s made multiple haphazard arrests that didn’t stick, which makes his habit of bullying, cuffing and transporting innocent victims more like kidnapping than police work.

I hope this incident is a wake-up call to all of Black America, whether you are famous or not. Thank God Blake is alive and that he has been vocal about what happened to him and what he thinks should happen to James Frascatore as a result of his actions. But I wonder what Mr. Blake’s thoughts were about the murder of 18 year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson a year ago. Did he lend his support, his name and his influence to the Black Lives Matter movement then? Did he think of Eric Garner’s murder at the hands of unrelenting police or is his concern for police brutality new?

Let us never think, as black Americans that we live in a post-racial America. There is no such thing.

James Blake rejects the opinion that his attack had anything at all to do with his race. Let me ask you:

How do you think Officer Frascatore would have approached Andy Roddick had he been standing outside the Grand Hyatt? Would Frascatore have dared to manhandle a white man as freely as he did a black man?

Would NYPD have choked and refused to perform CPR on Eric Garner if Garner had been an Italian or Jewish man with six children and three grandchildren? God forbid!

If you are a leader in America today, and you are familiar with and unmoved by this level of injustice, you may as well have participated in the attacks.

The laws exist to protect the rights of every American; they must be applied justly. Errant police behavior should be punished without hesitation and without excuses about officers having a hard job. The police force doesn’t draft citizens. Every cop out there became an officer of the law of his or her own accord. So having a tough job is no excuse for abuse and brutality.

We set our officers up for failure when we allow them to terrorize the public and never expect the public to retaliate. Mark my words: It is easy to assume you have upper hand and to think you can carry on with police business as usual, but America has a long history of vigilantism and a long-lasting love affair with individuals who are willing to die for their freedom and their way of life. The last thing any group of people want to do is wage war on American citizens.

We all watched the video of Hillary Clinton’s meeting last month with three leaders from the Black Lives Matter camp. She made a very poignant statement:

"Look, I don't believe you change hearts... I believe you change laws, you change allocation of resources, you change the way systems operate. You're not going to change every heart. You're not. But at the end of the day, we could do a whole lot to change some hearts and change some systems and create more opportunities for people who deserve to have them, to live up to their own God-given potential."

She is right. The mission has never been about changing the hearts of men. We don’t have the power to do such a thing. The mission is now, and always has been, to live in a country where we are treated justly. And that means meting out the law of the land fairly to all citizens.

That’s what leaders do.

No more excuses. No more waiting for reports. No more lengthy investigations and no bouncing paperwork around dusty offices until the press goes away.

We demand justice!

Where are the black leaders? Where are the sharp tongues and strategic minds that can organize movements to help us make progress collectively? I’m not talking about long-winded intellectuals and media puppets who sit in front of the camera and spread their watered-down views but they don’t really give a damn about black and brown people.

Where are the celebrities who are more invested in their communities than their promotional deals with liquor companies? Shame on this generation that takes, takes, takes and never has the courage to stand up for anything unless they think it will increase their Twitter following.

The time has come. Don’t let another day pass without demanding that our public officials start pressuring police departments to equally apply the laws. No more rogue cops and silent leaders.

Every leader - black, white and brown - must come together for what is just and what is right, sooner rather than later. Because none of us is far from the graveyard as long as we allow criminals masquerading as cops to walk the streets armed and dangerous.

 Toyin Dawodu, is father of a teenage son, and resident in California. 

Stable Electricity Still a Decade Away for Nigeria

Stable Electricity Still a Decade Away for Nigeria

By: Toyin Dawodu, MBA, Capital Energy Resources. Toyin@capvestgroup.com

If you are eagerly anticipating the arrival of stable electricity in Nigeria, “Goodluck.” A consistent source of electricity for Nigeria as a whole is not expected to arrive any time soon. The same goes for businesses, manufacturers and banks, which are known to spend as much as 30-40% of their revenue on diesel. The latest study may prove that stable electricity is still years away.

In a recent television interview on Sahara TV, Nigerian Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji said, "Nigeria currently generates 4,500 megawatts of power, and it will take 3-4 years to achieve the 20,000 - 30,000 megawatts of power that Nigeria needs.”  For Prof. Nnaji, it took his private company, Geometric, four years to build 283 megawatts of power for its Aba plant and Aba is yet waiting to generate electricity. Given the typical timeline for power projects in Nigeria, it is likely that it will be another 5 to 10 years before the Nigerian government is able to implement a plan that will provide residents with some semblance of consistent electrical power.

Dr. Sam Amadi, Chairman of Nigeria’s Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) warns that “Nigeria loses 40-50% of the power it generates during transmission and if Nigeria were to generate an extra 1,000 megawatts today, it has no way of transmitting the extra megawatts because the current transmission lines are not adequate.”

The Power Minister's projection of achieving stable electricity in the next 3 to 4 years may be overly optimistic considering there is still the need for new or updated transmission lines according to Dr. Amadi. If it takes five or ten years to stabilize electricity, Nigerian businesses have to rely on expensive imported diesel generators to power their lives and businesses. 

The Finance and Coordinating Minister for the economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala submits that Nigeria’s power is heavily subsidized and investors want tariffs to match the cost of producing power. The resources required for the construction of a power plant that produces 100MW or more are simply not available at the present time.  Efforts on centralized power have only given Nigeria 3000-4,500 megawatts in the last three decades.

Currently, the antiquated practice of building large centralized plants designed to transmit power have been in existence since the sixties. Today, distributive generation - generating power when and where it is needed and in smaller units – offers a better solution.

Another factor that affects immediate use of large power plants in Nigeria is the lack of sufficient gas pipeline infrastructure to transport the natural gas needed to power these huge plants. As well, building large captive plants may not present an easy solution. According to Nick Rouse of Frontier Market Funding Managers, even when it comes to large captive customers, it is difficult to secure a gas supply that would be within close proximity to the commercial entity to be served. Then there is the challenge of coordinating a group of creditworthy industrial clients who are willing to sign up for long-term power purchase agreements. “Particularly in relation to the latter,” says Rouse, “there is a real chicken and egg situation. Commercial entities will not engage with someone who is not credible and to be credible you need to have a proven model.”

Most investors that are planning to enter the Nigerian market are accustomed to funding huge projects where systems are already in place providing a more concrete guarantee that the investment will offer a return. In Nigeria, however, no one has been able to offer a solution to the issues of creditworthiness and profitability.  This includes the World Bank and other multilateral institutions. Investors remain unwilling to invest in Nigeria as long the government insists on setting tariffs that are below the cost of generation.  

Given Nigeria’s history of underperformance and corruption, and its current lack of systems, the country would benefit from creating an environment that is more conducive to the implementation of distributive generation.  Smart companies are embracing technologies that deliver power efficiently and at fifty to sixty percent less than the cost of imported diesel. Rather than rely on diesel generators, Nigerians can generate electricity at a cheaper rate on smaller micro turbines that run on clean-burning LPG that is produced in abundance locally.

 
Nigeria spends 15% of its annual budget on importing diesel and Nigerians own some 60 million generators that are fueled every single day using the wrong fuel, a fuel that indirectly exports jobs and subsidizes other countries. Distributive generation can save the country billions of Naira in wasted foreign exchange, diversify and grow the economy, and create millions of jobs. The solution is to embrace technology and utilize locally-produced fuel that is mobile and cheaper.

Toyin Dawodu, MBA, is the CEO of Capital Energy Resources currently testing alternative and clean energy generation in Nigeria. Toyin@capvestgroup.com