King Charles the Third just rounded off a visit to a former British colony now known as the United States of America. Indeed, Empires come. Empires go. Of Britain, it was once said “The Sun never sets on the British Empire.” (George Macartney, 1773).
That was then. This is now. The Sun has set. “How art the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished.”
On the backdrop of the King’s visit is the American/Israeli war against Iran. The King was careful not to make his host angry and so, he did not go there.
However, the King could not help himself in the matter of the limits of Presidential power. He said, “checks and balances” are limits to Executive power. He referenced the Magna Carta, (1215), which one must be pretty certain the King was sure his host had no idea what he was talking about.
It was the famous struggle between the British merchant class and King John of England. He was a tyrant. He ruled arbitrarily, circumscribing the rights and liberties of the people and also levying excessive taxes on production.
The Monarchy eventually blinked and granted the demands of the merchant class, essentially, the origin of the Bill of Rights. It eventually led to the curbing of the powers of the King and the creation of the British Parliament. Hence, the British form of government is called a Constitutional Monarchy.
The King reigns but Parliament rules.
The King in typical English use of language was lecturing the American President on “settled matters of history.”
Let me translate to street lingo. “Dude, in 1215, people of Britain revolted against the monarchy. Nobody wants Kings anymore. Why would you want to be a King in 2026? I am just being tolerated in my own country.”
The King need not worry. The framers of the American Constitution anticipated a President who would try to be a King and so, they came up with something called the Mid-term elections. Every two years, the people must vote for their representatives in Congress. This helps to correct, reshape and redirect a drifting ship of state. In November this year, the people will exercise that right again.
Talking more about Rights, the majority Conservative Supreme Court of the United States just bombed out the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Not only did the law give Black people the right to vote, it also set out to protect their votes against racial gerrymandering. What is interesting about this ruling will be how White people may fight to review it in 20 years time when they become the minority. Given the history of the United States, one would have thought the Supreme Court would have learned the lessons of history. Apparently not. Only time will tell.
SUPERPOWER PRESUMPTUOUSNESS
The American/Israeli war against Iran began on February 28th. It is now two full months. Iran’s upper echelon leaders may have been killed, but the regime stands. Could it be safe to say these days that Superpowers tend to overestimate their power? When Russia went into Ukraine, Putin declared
that it would be over in
three days. The war has entered its fifth year. In this time frame, Ukraine has developed a capacity to produce 48m drones in one year. How do you plan to defeat a country that has developed a capability to blanket your skies with drones? I’ve said it before. I will say it again.
‘A Ukrainian nuclear bomb is not far off.’ The day they test a bomb, the war will end. That is also the Iranian end game.
They know that Israel will stop messing with them once they get the bomb.
ON THE MATTER OF INSECURITY
Back home in Nigeria, there are several things on the fire. The Nigerian Army has lost too many top officers and Generals to the war on insecurity since the North will not allow us to call their miscreants terrorists.
Who kidnaps 200 children from school for ransom, and for rape if they are not terrorists? Who goes to a Church or a predominantly Christian village and massacres 300 men, women and children if they’re not terrorists? Who goes to a village populated by moderate Muslims and kills 400 people for rejecting an extreme interpretation of their religion if they are not terrorists?
The Federal Government must wake up to its responsibility to protect and to save lives. There’s a video clip trending online where someone who looks like an Army Chief is lamenting that Southern youths are refusing to join the army. The army may need to reevaluate their needs to be fit for purpose for 2026. Do we need more soldiers or do we need more drones?
Our GDP cannot grow if we cannot go to the farm. Our GDP will not grow if we cannot do cross-country travel.
The poverty in the land is so pervasive now that people have stopped trying to plant anything when all that happens is that at harvest time, herdsmen bring their cows to feed on your harvest or the poor in their midst show up at night to dig up the harvest.
ON THE MATTER OF 2027.
If Tinubu wants to win in 2027, City Boy Movement will not cut it. People are genuinely poor and help is needed—-quickly. The people need money in their bank accounts to tackle inflation.
Taxation on production must be eliminated to enable manufacturers sell more to the people and create jobs.
Why for example, should cumulative taxes on a bag of cement that costs N12,000 be N6,000? Why should the government take N800 from the cost of petrol which sells at N1,300.
If the government cannot be a solution, at the very least, the government should not be a problem.
Recently, the Minister for Power resigned to go and run for Governor in Oyo State.
Is he going to tell his people to vote for him because he gave us electricity? I wonder.
There’s a rumor trending that the government wants to tax Solar panels in people’s homes? The government must perish that thought. Let it remain in the realm of rumors.!!!!!
If Tinubu wants to win in 2027, he should bypass the usual channels and call up a small group of young people among Youth Corpers to help him identify the problems that each State needs to be solved immediately that will have direct impact on the people. Tinubu still has time to do things that will guarantee him victory in 2027. In Edo State for example, a quick fix on the Benin-Asaba Road and the Benin-Warri Road will have great impact. Thankfully, Governor Monday Okpebholo is tackling these roads already.
Youth corpers can help him identify the pain points in every State. All he needs to do is to be laser focused on those pain points.
If Tinubu wants to win in 2027, he must speed up the State Police proposal in the National Assembly. Security or insecurity is a measurable condition.
If he can secure us for the rest of this year, bring down costs of basic food items and goods, the people will forget and they will forgive. Anything short of these drastic measures, an Obi/Kwankwaso ticket will become a major attraction to the people as they will be able to sell hope to the masses.
If I were the Jagaban, this is the time to invoke righteous anger. I would take strong measures to alleviate the suffering of the people. We already have the BVNs for everyone. I would populate the accounts of the struggling masses with a mandatory minimum wage of 50k monthly.
The people will feel the compassion directly in a pot of soup and they would rather go with a solid chicken in a pot than wish for an Eldorado in the bush.
Until we meet again, goodbye and Goodluck.
