Nigerian Blogs round-up [Week 6 2006]

The Nigerian blogosphere this week is again not unconnected to the ungoing MTN African Cup of Nations (Egypt 2006).

Chippla starts the discourse when with this assertion:

“The 25th African Cup of Nations 2006 has been on in Egypt since January 20, 2006. When one looks at the teams still left in the tournament, which is currently in the quarterfinals stage, one cannot but weep about Africa’s anticipated performance in the forthcoming World Cup in Germany later this year.

Of the five African nations that qualified for the World Cup 2006–Tunisia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Angola–only two are currently left in the tournament. Ghana, Togo and Angola simply could not make it through the first round.”

David of Just thots by a Naijaman chooses to be sarcastic with the Super Eagles of Nigeria over thier defeat at the tournament by Cote d’Ivoire with his poem-like blog entry. This two first paragraphs reads:

Super Eagles, wingless eagles
visionless eagles!
Eagles without a purpose and a plan.
Eagles without a leader,
a rudderless plane
a reed shaken with the wind

Eagles, more like chickens
Super chickens!
trampled by the elephants
mauled by the lions
scared by hawks,
scarred by the stars.

Jeremy of Naijablog chooses to be more sympathetic with the Super Eagles of Nigeria. He titles his blog entry “Pele Eagles” which literally translates into “Sorry, Eagles”.

“The Super Eagles go out in the ACN semis yet again. I can’t help thinking the superior height of the Ivorians had a part to play in the defeat – not just Drogba up front, but the huge defensive wall…”

The fact that the much-feared bird flu has hit Africa (Nigeria, specifically) was all over the international media this week. Some Nigerian bloggers shared their thought on this.

Musings of a Naijaman states:

“Just as we were recovering from our losing to Cote D’Ivoire in the African Cup of Nations and were slowly creeping back to the third term agenda- whether or not to allow President Obasanjo alter the constitution to continue in office- and other sundry matters (like the planned Nigerian police strike), comes news this morning that the H5N1 flu virus has been detected in a poultry farm, in Kaduna, a few hours drive from Kano where legislators yesterday burnt the Danish flag (another instance of taking Panadol for another man’s headache). Perhaps this will help focus the minds of the third term agitators and others pursuing trivia on what is really important…..”

Me, Myself & I sees it from a slightly different angle though:

“…On Monday, Nigerian officials said that initial tests on chickens that mysteriously died in another state of northern Nigeria showed no sign of bird flu.

Nigerian authorities nevertheless urged farmers to monitor their flocks and report strange ailments to authorities. Kano state set up a committee of veterinary surgeons to visit farms and watch out for evidence of a bird flu outbreak.”

Nigeria got into the world news as a result of the symbolic burning of Danish flags by some MPs in Kano state of Nigeria. Nigerian bloggers bared thier minds on this.

Grandiose Parlor kicks-off by saying:

“Nigerian MPs [Members of the Parliament / members of House of Assembly ] cheered in the northern majority Muslim state of Kano as Danish and Norwegian flags were burned in a ceremony in the parliament premises.”

Ijebuman’s Diary adds his view on this issue:

“It seems there’s no getting away from this issue, our politicians have got in on the act as well. As long as it’s just flags they are burning and it doesn’t turn into the usual religious riots this part of the country is well known for.”

Kayode Muyubi of Kazey’s Journal askes: “Does the right to freedom of speech justify printing the Danish cartoons?”

“When it comes to ethical conduct in regards to any issue, what makes an action right and wrong is the principle inherent in the action. If an action is done from a sense of duty, if the principle of the action can be universalised, then the action is right. Although, it is essentially impossible for all people to share the same applied eithics in details and thus applying certain ethical rule to conclude to the subject at hand is not fair. Morality is questioned again.”

Nigerian Times pacifies the muslims worldwide:

“What is in an imaginary drawing of someone who lived and died centuries ago and none of us knows what he or she looked like? Just like that imaginative drawing or painting of Jesus Christ. God knows that the illustration is not His beloved Son Jesus Christ. But, He has not sent hail stones of His fiery anger to burn us to cinder. God is ever merciful as long as we repent. God is not a suicide bomber and He does not behead people. Because, God is not a Muslim. And God is not a Christian. God is not a Democrat and God is not a Republican. Infact, God does not love President George Walker Bush more than Osama bin Laden.”