Gwynne Dyer: The fate of Africa

                          

Introduction: This piece on Africa from Gwynne Dyer is a must read. His perspectives and insights leaves much to think about...

Can African nations grow their economies faster than their populations?

Good news from Africa: After two decades of bloody anarchy, Somalia is finally on the mend.

There is something resembling a government coming into being in Mogadishu, with much help from African Union troops.

Bad news from Africa: the situation in Mali is awful.

Sugarcoating 133 Years of Americo-Liberian Dominance

Introduction: Liberia has a tradition of appointing national orators on its independence day, a custom that stretches back to the country's foundation. This year speaker was Dr. Elwood Dun a Liberian academic. Here is Samuel D. Tweah Jr. critique of Dun's "Renewing our national promise," in which he disagrees fundamentally with Dun's interpretation of Liberia's history. Tweah  accused Dun of sugar coating the past, and being less candid about the historical national narrative which culminated in Liberia's founding. Says Tweah, "Dr. Dunn makes several troubling and baffling assertions which are teased and fleshed out...the Professor summarizes 133 years of political wrongdoing as prejudice. This is gross, tendentious understatement that has to be challenged. And more to the point, he uses ‘prejudices’ alongside ‘preferences’ as if to argue that ‘preferences’ define or connote the positives of the era while ‘prejudices’ explain the negatives." Both Dun and Tweah's posits are worth reading...

NFF says Steven Keshi job is on the line!

By ralph geeplay

The Eagles

The Nigerian Super Eagles coach, Steven Keshi is about to lose his high paying job if he fail to beat the Lone Star of Liberia and qualify the Eagles for Afcon finals next year in South Africa, Nigerian football officials are saying. Echoing the Nigerian football house sentiments quite recently was Mike Umeh, the vice president of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).

Augustine Ngafuan and Liberia’s economy diplomacy

By: ralph geeplay

Liberia’s Foreign Minister (FM) Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan comes to the foreign minister  position with a core strategic objective for promoting Liberia policy initiatives by advancing what he and Sirleaf on many occasion have termed the “the economy diplomacy,” of the Unity Party led administration. The West African state which is still reeling from almost two decades of civil strive wants to build bridges with investors and foreign governments by winning investment to the country as it advance peace, and thereby, over all create stability.

Liberia: Signing Table Mountain is not enough!

By ralph geeplay

Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is being praised for signing the Table Mountain declaration which aims to boost press freedom and stop the criminal prosecution of journalists in Liberia. Sirleaf deserves commendation, but It is important to note that the signing comes from the Executive Mansion at a time when assaults and libels against the press has been documented and on the rise. All the Fourth Estate has done these past years even when dictatorships ruled Liberia has been an effort to report the news and bring sensitization to the greater public as it fulfill their professional obligations.

Liberian Senate move to criminalize gays

By ralph geeplay

If there is one thing that draws unanimous consensus in the West African state of Liberia, it is that gays in the country will have no place in the society to live their lives peacefully, never mind that the country is still war wary, with many citizens still traumatize after almost two decades of conflict. The religious community too have not help things, it also despise gays furiously. More so,  the Liberian presidency has issued statements that have not bore well for gays. And so, the Liberian Senate on Tuesday this week went to work and  amended the Domestic Relations Law by voting for an anti-gay legislation, which it hope,  the presidency will sign. Of all the pressing national issues in Liberia,  is this the one that gets them...?

Recalled Forkey Doe for the Nigerian tie

By: ralph geeplay

The President of the Liberian FA must recall Francis Forkey Doe to the Lone Star now, as Liberia prepares to play the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Doe is probably Liberia best kept secret since the dribbling legend George Weah left professional football for politics, following an impressive spell of certified career in Africa and Europe. What have kept the lid on Doe’s career are perhaps disciplinary issues, but no one doubts his talents. He remains without hesitation Liberia’s finest scorers amongst today’s generation of Liberian players seeking to make a name, since Oppong Weah left the scene about a decade ago.

Doe connects with DC United fans