Of Russia and Nigeria: crazy coincidences

Between Russia

and Nigeria:crazy coincidences and developments  by Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth,London,England

Russian Billionaire, Alister Usmanov and ex-Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Buba Marwa were both born on September 9 1953.
Usmanov second Richest Man in the Uk studied International Law at the Moscow Institute of International Relations whereas Marwa ex military administrator of Lagos, Nigeria"s Richest state, studied International Relations at the Pittsburg University.
Usmanov and Marwa have both been arrested on suspicion of Bribery and corruption and Financial crimes respectively.
They were both discharged later on....

According to  Branchout Nations a Book by  Ruchir Sharma ,an expert in emerging markets at the world renowned Morgan Stanley Investment Management the Russian Financial sector resembles that of Nigeria.
Around the same period the central banks of Russia and Nigeria injected funds into struggling banks.
Russia and Nigeria are both below number 100 on the list of ease of doing business.
Most people in Russia and Nigeria pay cash for property.
Russian and Nigerian public officials are known world wide for bribery and corruption.
The economies of Russia and Nigeria are mainly based of solid minerals, Oil and gas.

Population of Russia is 142 million and Nigeria 167 million.Nigeria has 130 private jets worth on  average 50 million Dollars and 400 billion lost to public officials in the  last decade
  March 5 1937 saw theBirth of the Woman loving Olusegun Obasanjo,now ex Nigerian President.
March 6 1937 saw the birth of Valentina Tereskhova, first President Soviet Women"s committee.
Obasnjo and Tereskhova are both ex soldiers.
Obasanjo initiatedNigeria"s Space research Programme and Teresknova was first woman in outerspace.
Russia leads Europe in applications of Space science,

Nigeria leads Africa in applications of Space Science.
 March 9 1934 saw the birth of the Pioneers, Cosmonaut Yuri  Alekseyevich  Gagarin

and Otunda Subomi  Michael Balogun.

Gagarin,first Man in outerspace and Balogun founder of the first fully owned indigenous   Mercahnt Bank.

every letter in "otunba" except "b" you find in "Cosmonaut" , Yuri rhymes with Subomi, every letter in Michael except  M you find in

Alekseyevich.  Gagarin and Balogun are both seven letters
 Vladimir Lenin was first President of Soviet Union and Bola Ige Nigerian Presidential aspirant.
Lenin and Ige were both Lawyers, both of socialist orientation and both emerged best students of their respective secondary schools
Lenin and Ige both studied the classical languages of Latin and Greek.
In addition to Russian,Lenin Spoke Three other languages,German,French and English.
In addition to English ,Bola Ige spoke three other languages,Yoruba,Hausa and Igbo.
 .
Lenin and Ige have both been described as Orators.

Lenin and Ige were both Publishers.
LLenin belonged to the Marxist Circle and Ige belonged to the Zikist movement

Of Chicago and Ibadan: Crazy coincidences

There are cazy developments between Chicago and Ibadan

Barack Obama, the United Staets' President and Abiola Ajimobi, Governor of Oyo State both cut their vacations short to attend to the Disasters from Hurricane Irene (August 29, 2011) and Ibadan flood, (August 26, 2011), respectively.
Barack Obama is from Chicago, capital of Mid- West America,printing capital of America and seat of the world"s first  skyscraper and Abiola Ajimobi is from Ibadan, capital of South- West Nigeria,Publishing Capital of Nigeria and  seat of the first Skyscraper in Tropical Africa.
 

Chicago and Ibadan are the third largest cities of  the U.S.  and  Nigeria.

 

Chicago Tribune is the largest Newspaper outfit in Chicago and Nigerian Tribune the largest newspaper outfit in Ibadan.

 

Chicago had the greatest Agricultural Machenery industry in the U.S. and Ibadan the highest number of Agric Research Institutes in Nigeria..

Chicago and Ibadan have both held World Records Faith wise.Chicago had the richest ArchDiocese in the World and Ibadan the youngest Bishop in the World now ArchBishop Alaba Job.
James Abram Garfield, a lawyer and classicist, who got his nomination for Presidency in Chicago was assassinated, while James Ajibola Ige, a lawyer and classicist, who lost his nomination as a presidential candidate in Ibadan, was also assassinated.

Interestingly, Bola Ige’s son, Muyiwa, was Chairman of the Oyo State branch of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, with Base in Ibadan. Muyiwa studied in Chicago, the Architectural capital of the world. He is currently the Commisioner for Lands and Physical Planning in Osun State.

In Chicago and Ibadan, we had Frank Lloyd Wright and Demas Nwoko, respectively, both described as evolving an entirely new Architectural identity for their respective countries.
In Chicago, we have Loyola University, and Ibadan, Loyola College.

At Chicago we had Enrici Fermi,Physicist credited with winning World War II for the U.S. President ,Harry S.Truman.He was called" the Pope" because he was always right described as being as good a Theoretician as well as an Experimentalist.He tested the first Nuclear Reactor as invented by him in a Squash Court on December 2 1942

Whereas in Ibadan we had Obafemi Awolowo, a Lawyer described as the  Chief strategist to the Nigerian Head of State, Yakubu Gowon. Called" the  Sage" because of his wisdom he has been refered to as a Political Theoretician a well as being a Practical Economist. A son was born to him in Ibadan on December 3 1942 to be maned Oluwole who was to become an avid Squash Raquet Player.

Chicago was crucial to the development of Jazz Music in the US, and Ibadan, the Highlife Music in Nigeria. Interestingly, one of the highlife greats, who started out in Ibadan was known as Roy Chicago.

In Chicago you had Walt Disney,Caroonist,Comedisthe studied at the Chicago Art Institute.He had his Laugh-o-Grams and was  an Ambulance Driver whereas in  Ibadan we had  Solomon Iguanre a ,CArtoonistand ,Comedist he co founded Laffomania studied at the Unibadan. Worked directly under a Doctoras  a manager of an NGO
Obama and Ajimobi both do not have a clear cut majority in the US Senate and the Oyo State House of Assembly, respectively.

Obama and Ajimobi were fathered by Muslims, both served as senators, both studied in the New York. Also, Obama and Ajimobi both have masters degrees, and funnily, are both linked with a Citizenship Conspiracy
Like Obama, Ajimobi might have to observe January 20 and July 4, the two most important days in American History. The day of inauguration of the US President and the US Independence day.
For Lam Adesina, an old boy of the Loyola College, Ibadan, a former governor of Oyo State, and the Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, of which Ajimobi is a part, was born on January 20, 1939, and his wife Saratu, on July 4, 1944.

Ose @ the verandah: You Can Be Who You Want To Be

Ose @ the verandah: You Can Be Who You Want To Be

Hurricane Irene,Ibadan Flood, Barack Obama and Abiola Ajimobi,

Of United States and Oyo State; Uncanny coincidences by Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth,London,

England
Perhaps some mathematicians orTheoretical Physicists would have to formulate some equations to explain the developments between the United States and Oyo State, particularly, Chicago and Ibadan.. You can start by comparing Gravity in Chicago and Ibadan. Same with Atmospheric Pressure.

Barack Obama, U.S President and Abiola Ajimobi, Governor of Oyo State
both cut their vacations short to attend to the disasters from Hurricane Irene(August 29, 2011) and Ibadan Flood ,( August 26, 2011) respectively

Barack Obama is from Chicago capital of Mid west America and home of the skyscraper and Abiola Ajimobi is from Ibadan capital of south West Nigeria and home of the Nigerian sky scraper..

James Abram Garfield, Lawyer , Classicist got his nomination for Presidency in Chicago was assassinated whereas James Ajibola Ige.Lawyer and Classicist lost his nomination for Presidential candidate in Ibadan, was also assassinated.

Interestingly Bola Ige”s son Muyiwa was Chairman of the, Oyo State Branch of the, Nigerian Institute of Architects with base in Ibadan. Muyiwa studied in Chicago which has been described as the Architectural Capital of the World.He is currently Commisioner for Lands and Physical Planning Osun State.

In Chicago and Ibadan we had Frank Llyod Wright and Demas Nwoko respectively both described as evolving an entirely new Architecture for their respective countries.
In Chicago we have Loyola University and Ibadan, Loyola College.
( Mr. Governor Please give us back our SchooL.. I am an old Boy of Loyola college.)
Chicago was crucial to the development of Jazz Music in the U.S. and Ibadan Highlife Music in Nigeria. Interestingly one of the high life greats who started out in Ibadan was known as Roy Chicago.

Obama and Ajimobi both do not have a clear cut majority in the U.S. senate and the Oyo State house of assembly respectively.

Obama and Ajimobi were fathered by Muslims

Obama and Ajimobi both served as Senators
Obama and Ajimob both studied at New York
Obama and Ajimobi both have masters Degrees.
Obama and Ajimobi are both linked with a citizenship conspiracy

Like Obama, Ajimobi might have to observe January 20 and July 4, the two most important days in American History.The day of inaguration of the U.s. President and The Independence day.

For Lam Adesina, old Boy Loyola College , Ibadan, former Governor of Oyo State , and Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria of which Ajimobi is a part was born January 20 1939 and his wife Saratu July 4 1944.Obama and Ajimobi both lived in Illinois state .Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth has written on coincidences in the lives of seven American Presidents and Prominent Nigerians..

Of Mukesh Ambani and Aliko Dangote,India and Nigeria and Tunde Bakare

Mukesh Ambani is Indias richest man he was born on April 19 1957
whereas Aliko Dangote is Nigerias Richest man born April 10 1957.
Dangote is Africas Richest man and Ambani is tiped to become the richest man in the world by 2014,currently second richest in Asia.

The Indian Politician , Vinay Katiyar and the Nigerian politician Tunde Bakare were both born on November 11 1954. Katiyar served as Vice president BJ Party for the State of Uttar Pradesh population 188 milion
whereasTunde Bakare is Vice presidential candidate of the CPC( Congress for progressive change) Nigeria with Population of 158 million.

There are other strange developments between India and Nigeria especially as it concerns Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Hindu Nationalist and Bola Ige(1930-2001),
Yoruba Nationalist.

Gandhi and Ige both studied Law at the University College London.

Gandhi and Ige were both imprisoned for their struggles on the Democratic front.

Gandhi and Ige have both been described as having caustic tongues.

Gandhi was a mystic and relatedly Bola Ige a Rosicrucian.

Gandhi and Ige were both assasinated in their 70s. Gandhi in New Delhi the political capital of India and Bola Ige in Ibadan the Political Capital of the Yoruba Nation.

Gandhi had as his right hand man, Pandit Nehru. Twenty years younger than Gandhi, Nehru studied Geology,physics,Chemistry and Botany and eventually Law.

Comparably Ige had as his special asssitant,Olu Agunloye,18 years younger than Ige he studied Geo Physics.

Bola Ige is particularly interesting for the passion he has shown for India, Gandhi and Nehru, In his Autobiography, Kaduna Boy, he revealed that the first country he visited outside Nigeria was India.He also disclosed that he had read virtually everything Gandhi and Nehru ever wrote.

Ige also informed that when Nehru became Prime minister in 1947, He "was as happy as if he was an Indian"and when Gandhi was assasinated in 1948 he had "Three days of excruciating mental agony and moodiness"

India is the Worlds largest Democracy and Nigeria the largest Democracy in Africa
.India and Nigeria both have Histories of Slavery,Colonialism by the British, a ethno-religious conflicts. Nepotism in politics and Crippling Corruption.

Indians are known in Nigeria for fake drugs and Nigerians are known in India for hard drugs.
70% of Nigerians live in Poverty and 60 % percent of Indians live in Poverty.

Indians are known for fake drugs in Nigeria
and Nigerians are known for hard drugs in India.

Gandhi ,father of Indian independence was born October 2 1869 and Nigerian date of Independence is October 1 1960

There is the Gandian Movement there is as well the Bola Ige movement.

India has the disputed territory Kasmir, Nigeria had the disputed territory Bakassi
.
The Economist,Dr.Manmohan Singh served as Indias minister of Finance,now Prime Minister,attended Oxford, oldest University in Britain and was Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
Whereas the Economist, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala served as Minister of Finance, tipped as a potential Nigerian President,Serves as Managing Director of the world Bank, attended Harvard university,Oldest University in the United states.

In colonial Nigeria it is said the Students had a protest song that read in part " After India comes Nigeria"

70% are living in Poverty in Nigeria and 60 % in poverty in India.
Can Nigeria recreate the Miracles of India in such areas as IT,Medicine,Pharmaceuticals and small scale industries?

I am recommending a centre for the study of India in Nigeria.Harvard university is spending a Billion Dollars for an India institute. In India we are sure to find solutions to some Nigeran problems.
Good books to read: Soul Force,Gandhis writing on Peace Edited by V. Geetha( Of current interest in Nigeria).Tara publishing.
India a Potrait by Patrick French.(Penguin)
GANDHI,The man,His people and the Empire by Rajmohan Gandhi,Professor and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Haus Books London
Think India The rise of the Worlds Next Super Power and what it means for every American byVinay Rai,Billionaire,Business Man and Philantropist. Dutton(publisher)
Nandan Nilekani. Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation (March 19, 2009 ed.). Penguin Press HC. p. 528. ISBN 1594202044.
In this book, Nandan discusses topics such as the future of India, its recent history, the ideas and attitudes that evolved with the times and contributed to the country’s progress, India’s early socialist policies, its young population, Information Technology, caste politics, labour reform, infrastructure, higher education, and the English language in India.

Sonia Gandhi could be said to be responsible for Indias dramatic growth because she influenced the choice of the economist, Manhoman Singh as Prime Minister. She is an Italian born in Italy , coincidentally on December 9 1946, the day of the first sitting of the constitution drafting committee of India.
I welcome your feedback. Cheers!

Of Churchill and George w Bush,Hitler and Hussein Coincidences

There are some interesting coincidences in the lives of Winston Churchill, Ex British Prime minister and and Ex U.S. President George W. Bush.George Bush Kept a Bust of Churchill in his Office, a Loan from Britian. By the Chinese Calendar, Churchill and Bush were born in the year of the Dog.. Churchill in the Year of the Wood Dog,November 30 1874 and Bush in the Year of the Fire Dog,July 6 1946 .You have the year of the Dog every 12 years .Churchill and Bush both had military training,Churchill was Secretary of the Air and Bush an Air force Pilot .Churchill and Bush smoked Cigars Churchill and Bush both had a passion for History Churchill was in the Conservative Party and relatedly Bush in the Republican. Churchill was a "hard Drinker" and Bush Had a Drink Problem. Churchill slugged it out with Adolf Hitler in the second World War, described as a Megalomaniac, and born on April 20 1889, by the Chinese Calendar, year of the Ox, precisely the Earth Ox. Bush Slugged it out with Saddam Hussein, in the Second Gulf war also described as a Megalomaniac and Born on 26 April 1937,Year of the Ox, Precisely,Year of the Fire ox .One last note on the Chines Calendar. In his Memoirs, Decision Points, Bush compared the Attack on the World trade Cetre( September 11 2001,Year of the Iron snake) with the Pearl Harbour attack( December 7 1941,Year of the Iron Snake). You have the Year of the Iron Snake Ecery 60 years.

London Book Fair Nigerian Cookbooks and other matters

London Bookfair,Cookbooks and other matters by Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth,Waltham Forest,.London,England

I attended the London Book Fair which opened from April 20 to 22 , 2009 particularly to

see what the cook book publishing industry looked like and possible lessons for Nigeria..Of course several other aspects of the Fair caught my attention.

At the London Book fair I met Spain based Pilar Gutierrez,,Director, World Cookbook Awards ..Gutierrez was quite excited at the propect of having a Nigeria cookbook.Having never come across a Nigerian Cookbook she expressed her desire to enter such books for The World Cookbook Awards.

According to the Gourmand Year Book 2008,which I got from Gutierrez,,the world Cookbook Awards are in 39 categories which include, First Publication,Desert,Single Subject,Health and Nutrition,Children and Family,Vegetarian,innovation,Local,Foreign,Television Celebrity.Woman Chef,Photography,illustration,Design,Bread,Chocolate etc

I met Richard Howells of the Harvard University press. He describes himself as a cook book collector.He would love have to have Nigerian Cook Books.There are hundreds of thousands like him around the world

My search on the web revealed only three Nigerian Cook books The first is titled NIgerian Cookbook by H .Anthonio and M Isoun,(1982,Macmillan),another is Black Eyed Bean Recipes by Grace Kelly(2004,Amazing Grace publication ) and lastly Contemporary Nigerian Cuisine by Funke koleosho( 2009, Jok Publishing) .Funke Koleosho has been featured on British Television and she talks about what constittes Nigerias National food. the Chinese Have Rice,the Italians, .Pasta and the British Potatoes.What is Nigerias National Food for instance as is to be served at the State Banquet in The Presidential Villa Abuja? Maybe our Food writers,Food scientists and Nigerian Chefs can help us with this.

This Ccookook industry not only helps to promote and preserve culture and wellness

but could have significant roles to play in the fight against poverty by driving demand on the global front for agricultural products from Nigeria.

.Organisations like the FAIR TRADE FOUNDATION have the Fair trade Cookbook and have specificaly asked for authentic Nigerian recipes making use of ingredients covered by the fair trade label. Amongst other issues Fair trade woks to ensure fair prices for farmers in the developing world and they parer with supermarkets in Europe,They Also try to ensure the developmnt of the local community harbouring the Farmers.

At the Bookfair Africa made a poor outing. i counted just over 10 blacks at the first day of the Book Fair and on the third Day,the final day there were more blacks around and even Nigerians but this time the overall attendance was very poor.This has been attribute to the Global ecoomic crisis.

From Ibadan, the Publishing Capital of Nigeria came Femi Anulopo of the Bookshop learning Solutions.He informs he has been in the Book trade for about two decades. I caught him in the midst of a discussion on electricity criisis in Nigeria.Interestingly he is an electrical engineer turned Bookseller. I think it is better to read a good book with Candle light than to sit infront of the Television described as the "Romantic Candle light' power by Electricity.Its right here in London we had Michael Faraday workig in a Book binders shop there he discovered an article on Electricity in an edition of the Encyclopedia. Brittainica From there Faraday as a Physicist and Chemist became known as the Father of electricity having discovered the principle of generating electricity on Octber 28 1831.. I hope mr Anulopo took a few volumes of the Encyclopedia Britaitnica back home.Of course i am aware of the fact that there are human factors responsible for the energy crisis. The solutions to these problems could also be found by reading and research.

At this fair,publishers from Africa ,19 of them, were represented by tthe Africa Book collective and Afican Authors were represented by African freedom Press basd in the United states.These two "Afrcan" outfits did not impress me as they paraded well known Nigerian Names.Names that have been on the publishing scene for, 20,30,40 years.Its a real challenge for those of my generation. I am 40 plus but i have read people in their 20s and 30s and Ifeel they have a lot to share with the rest of the world.

Lastly i read about a workshop on African Indigenous Knowledge and intellectual Property Rights: Implications for Nigerias development ,at the University of Ibadan in the Guardian Newspaper of Apri 22 2009.ideally many of the participant at that worshop should have been here in London for the bookfair unless of course "Ibadan" is trying to send a strong message to the organisers of the London Bookfair otherwise the days of the workshop(April20 to 24) should not have clashed with the days of the London Bookfair. I hope they wouls all make it to Franfurt in October for the worlds largest Bookfair.