Bongo's palace makes White House look quaint

Ramblings of a Procrastinator in Accra explains why he is fascinated by the ongoing drama surrounding the death of Gabonese President Omar Bongo:

“Why am I so fascinated? Well, out of all the countries I have visited, my trip to Gabon last year was truly unforgettable. I was there for 2 months and during that time I failed to really understand the country. From the unspoiled beaches to the rich lush equatorial forests, it is still very hard to describe Gabon. A nation full of contradictions; extreme wealth coupled with extreme poverty. The entire nation is adorned with sign-boards with Mr. Bongo's picture, monuments celebrating him and a Presidential palace that makes the White House look like a quaint country club. The Gabonese people were equally fascinating. Customer service has a unique meaning in Gabon and a visit to Libreville is not recommended for someone looking for a budget vacation. Yet, Libreville has an undeniable vibrant pulse. I will never forget the beautiful Italian restaurant we ate in that was literally on water or the wonderfully paved streets. I spent most of my time in the provincial town of Lambaréné which has a strange 1950s colonial feel with great roads, bridges, rivers and fantastic lighting.”

Pen Powder looks back at Omar Bongo’s 42-year rule and the Bongo family’s stranglehold on Gabon:

“During Bongo's long rule, ethnic tensions were subdued and Gabon was generally stable and peaceful. The country benefited from its oil wealth, although most of the population remained impoverished and Bongo and his associates were routinely accused of serious corruption...

So what is wrong with all this? I will not be shaken in my assertion that when it comes to democracy and politics, there is no meaningful contribution that anybody can give after 10 years at the helm. What new ideas will one come up with after having been so used to the system?

Now we are told that the late Bongo’s son who is the Minister of Defence has sealed off the whole country, deployed soldiers, cut off Internet access and ordered state radio to play sorrowful music to mourn the president. Honestly, who do these Bongos think they are?”

Ndagha loudly proclaims that he is proud of his country, Malawi:

“In fact it might be fair to argue that we have one of the best democracies so far...

As I continue living in Malawi and here and there read or visit other countries, I get more and more impressed and proud of my country Malawi.

For some months, there has been general excitement that the country's economic growth is on the right path. Who wouldn't want to be proud of such a country?

Though we have several health, economic and other problems, it is exciting that there is relatively lots of freedom of all forms in Malawi…

I am proud of Malawi because it is still a very closely knit country. When someone tells you that the world is small, you certainly get to agree as soon or later you bump into someone who knows that and that and that one. You cannot get lost...”

Kent’s Diaries comments on the ubiquity of the mobile phone in Africa today:

“Mobile phones are no longer a preserve for the elite class in society. Almost everyone owns one (in Ghana even the poor have two or more). Cell phones are now part of people’s lives. Life without a mobile phone is like life without oxygen, an electrical appliance without electricity, the world without light or a football match without a ball.
The International Telecommunication Union estimated that about four billion cellular phone subscriptions would be recorded at end of 2008 worldwide. About 50 million people own mobile phones in Africa. Out of this number 15 million do not have access to their own television at home.

Mobile phones have shrunk the world into a small village. In the past people had to queue at post offices (at least I know of Africa) to make international calls to friends and relatives abroad. It took days and weeks to travel to family and friends in nearby villages to deliver messages that lasted for less than half an hour when phones were not in existence. Today the situation is totally different. Mobile phones have made it possible to connect to people from anywhere to everywhere.”

Nigerian Curiosity reviews the 4-year old agreement between Microsoft and Nigeria to fight cyber crime:

“Whenever there is a discussion of cyber crimes, the word ‘Nigeria’ will soon be raised. This is the unfortunate reality for the country which has a reputation as the home of many online scammers and other criminals. Yet, Nigeria has been in partnership with Microsoft to combat cyber crime for at least 4 years. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether this partnership has produces significant benefits for the country and its damaging reputation...

In 2005, Nuhu Ribadu said that the EFCC had confiscated at least $100 million from spammers and other defendants and by the time he was 'temporarily removed' from his position in 2008, the EFCC had retrieved a total $600 million in dubiously acquired funds (including stolen public assets). In spite of this, and the fact that Microsoft has been an anti-cyber crime partner, Nigeria's reputation as a haven for scammers and fraudsters has barely improved.

And now, a new report indicates that Nigeria ranks 3rd on a top 10 list of the world's worst online crime countries. This begs the simple question - Why is Nigeria still ranked that high?”

Craig of Capetown writes about a massive ponzi scheme that was recently uncovered in South Africa:

“A while back - last year in fact, I realised that money I had invested in a scheme involving stem-cell regeneration was completely lost. Having had received no feedback from my investment broker for quite some time I tried to contact him and needless to say the company no longer existed and my money was all gone.

However that was small beans compared to those who invested in the Frankel Scheme. Now it has been uncovered that more than R2 billion has gone missing and it is believed that more losses will be uncovered soon.

This was all created by Barry Tannenbaum who it is alleged may have started South Africa's largest Ponzi scheme. This has been uncovered by a Financial Mail investigation that has exposed a trail of deceit that looks as if this might be South Africa's biggest investment disaster.”

* Dibussi Tande, a writer and activist from Cameroon, produces the blog Scribbles from the Den

* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at www.pambazuka.org/