AFRICA this Tuesday, January 15, scored a stunning victory at the Hague against the International Criminal Court, ICC,  a contraption  of the West to maintain a neo-colonial strangle hold on the continent. On that day, the ICC like hot potatoes, dropped the contrived charges against Lauren Gbagbo, the anti-imperialist politician and immediate past President of  Cote d’Voire, and ordered his immediate release.

AS a former newspaper Editor, I would not have published the Daily Trust lead story of January 6, 2019 titled: Military prepares massive operation to retake Baga, others, which led to the newspaper’s invasion by armed soldiers. My editorial judgement would not have been based on the army’s fairy tale that the story violated national security, but because it was primarily, a rehash of information that was already in the public space. I would have asked the reporter to provide fresh information or a new angle to the story.

THE United States (US) like a country under bombardment, scrambled its National Security Adviser, John Bolton and Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo into the air. Their flights are taking them through the Middle East primarily to reassure their allies that they are still committed to the fight against the Islamic State, ISIS, a Frankenstein monster they collectively reared and nurtured.

THEY were not advised visits. But the Pro-Democracy Movement had become badly depleted. The Abacha regime had forced quiet a number of activists underground. Some, like our leader, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Shehu Sani had been given life jail sentences, Ken Saro-Wiwa had been executed with eight other Minority campaigners, some activists had fled into exile and a number were in detention without trial

IN March 1952, three months before general elections, soldiers in a small country, Cuba, overthrew the government. The coup was led by a candidate and former military dictator, Colonel Fulgencio Batisa. Cuba itself was essentially a gambling and tourist country for fun-loving Americans whose mafia led by Charles Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky also ran the gambling and prostitution rings. The coup which enjoyed the approval of America seemed a settled matter. But some young Cubans, including students and young ladies, decided  enough was enough; no longer would their country be played around like football. They decided to arouse the populace to an insurrection.