THE BAD, THE WORST, THE "WORSTEST"

We really tought we have seen the bad and the worst after a calamitous Kora awards ceremony and a stampede during a firework offered by the District of Abidjan. Today two web activists , Mohamed Diaby and Cyriac Gbogou who initiated actions to help the victims and their parents have been arrested and that is what I call the "Worstest". 

What is "worsest" than accusing a human being of showing humanity, sympathy to his fellow human being. Even if the volonteers made some wrong moves in their will to help, the way they were arrested was totally wrong. Pretend to have a lost child to kidnap Cyriac was so so wrong. 

Seeing the efficiency of the volonteers' actions, the best choice was to ask for a meeting. We are not working as anonymous. Either you ask for a cooperation or you tell us to stop immediately all the actions. Because we are not the State of Côte d'Ivoire as we think we are and the real State has agencies well trained to do that. We would have understood. But they used the wrong way. They added another stain to the reputation of Côte d'Ivoire. This reputation they are trying so hard to keep immaculate throwing millions in the process. 

What shall we understand now? We are all candidates to jail cause because we are writing too much? Mohamed and Cyriac were freed but I'm still worried. What if Mohamed didn't have is Smartphone to tweet that he was arrested? What if there was no buzz about it? What if international media didn't share the information? What if no member of the government spoke on their behalf? 

We are not working for any member of the governement. We are working with anyone who want to cooperate with us in a safe way. Why is it so difficult to understand? Come on internet and see our motivations with your own eyes. Yes they were released but what if...what if...

We don't owe anything to our contry. Citizens are changing nationalities every day. People we elected owe us everything. If we want to help it is not because we have nothing else to do. It's not because we want to belittle them. We want to show that you don't need to be a Mayor, a Member of parliament, a Minister or even a President before helping your country.  All you need is a good heart. We think it is our duty to contribute to the happinness of this generation and the next one. We are everywhere, they are in only one place. We are many, they are few. 

 If loving your brother, you sister is forbidden, if there are conditions to console them, if there are limits to the help we should give then say it...we will understand.

RIP CYNTHIA...MURDERED BY FACEBOOK FRIENDS

The story happened a few weeks ago in Nigeria. 

Cynthia Udoka Osokogu, a young graduate from the University of Nasarawa State decides to leave Abuja for Lagos. She wants to buy new things for her shop. Her contacts there? Two students met on Facebook. They have become friends after months of online Chat so they offered to give her a shelter.

Full of confidence, she takes her flight ticket and goes to Lagos. Very soon, her parents have no news from her. They ring the alarm. On the internet everybody is sharing her photos. But Cynthia was already dead. The very day she arrived, her friends drove her to a motel, drugged her, stole her money and strangled her to death.

As she had no more papers, the hostel employees dropped the corpse in a morgue. That's where her body was found after researches. Some people were arrested including her murderers thanks to the video system of the motel. Cynthia is their 6th victim.  

When this story hit the web, people left very bad comments about the girl.  

 "She is very stupid."

"She was certainly a prostitute. This time she met a bad customer. A good girl can never go to an unknown place to leave with strangers."

The truth is, it could have been any of us. 

We are always on the internet, all day long. We say we are experimenting the magic of social network. We have virtual friends we love even more than physical friends. 

I used to refuse systematically all the meetings with virtual friends when we didn't have "physical" friends in common. But on many occasions, I had to meet unknown people in restaurants because they wanted me to work for them. I already went to another town for a conference and all my contacts where virtual friends.

So before throwing the stone, let's realise that our life is so unperfect and so fragile. Few messages mean nothing. Let us all be careful about this internet thing. Talk to your parents and family about your friends, physical or virtual.

Cynthia was the only daughter and the last child of General Major Osokogu.

AN OLD MAN EATEN BY CROCODILES IN YAMOUSSOUKRO

When I first saw this old man standing near those beasts, I asked myself, "What is he doing there? Does he want to commit sucide? ". 

Then I read the comments. And I realized that it was part of his habits. It was even his job.  Old Dicko was feeding  them. The Caymans were his friends. He was giving  them their daily meat, around 30 kg of meat per day according to reports. 

In this country where everything is expensive, you would think those animals would be eternally grateful to the old man. But no. Animals are and remain animals. The caymans turned against their "father". 

They have bitten the hand which fed them. They have devoured a man who would talk to them and used to speak to them. 

They say the old man has fallen down and the noise has disturbed the animals and caused  their unusual behavior.  How sad! How shoking! What a pity! What a tragic end! And So many questions! 

Did he really need to go into the "pit" to feed the animals? Why not just throw it overboard? What has really happened? Who will now take care of these animals? Are they now a danger for population? Once a President's fancy, yesterday a popular tourist site , today the place of a violent death. What for tomorrow?

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT : FROM VIRTUAL TO REAL LIFE

Three months ago the President of the National Assembly arrived on social networks. This presence is such a great opportunity to interact with him. Friends or opponants are full of joy.

Through the social networks you can congratulate him or blame him directly, instead of saying all those words behind your TV. You can meet him in person, with no bodyguards, no tinted windows.


If wanting to get closer to the people is a good initiative, my greatest fear was to see the President of the National Assembly omit one important aspect. Actions.


Speaking to people is good, but listening to them is better. And listening is not sufficient if it's not combine with  right actions.


I was pleasantly surprised that Mr. Guillaume Soro funded the Yakro E-School 2012, a platform for training and exchange around the web, organized by E-Voir Agency.
My joy increased when I heard that the meeting between the promoter of the event and him was done only through the magic of the Internet.


It is so incredible to know that through a simple tweet the President of the National Assembly appreciated the concept, decided to associate his image and even give more than 80% of the budget. According to the communication service of the President of the National Assembly, it is not the first time for Mr. Guillaume Soro  to help young people he met via social networks.


But as the saying goes, nobody shows his village with his left hand. Lol.


The details of the aid, granted by the President of the National Assembly, were not disclosed.  I guess it is for M Soro not to lose his divine reward because holy books invite us to keep our acts of charity as secret as possible.

But I think it is also not to turn the presence of Mr. Guillaume Soro on social networks in an NGO.
Lovers or haters, people are  following his activities and it's nice to see that he also follows back with concrete actions. Hope that he will continue to consider the contributions of internet users even in the submission and adoption of laws.


To follow the news of the President of the National Assembly (All in french)

Le blog : http://www.blog.guillaumesoro.com
Son compte Twitter : https://twitter.com/SOROKGUILLAUME
Son compte facebook : Facebook.com/Guillaumeksoro
Son compte google+ : https://plus.google.com 
Son compte Linkedin :www.linkedin.com/guillaumesoro 
Son compte Pinterest : www.pinterest.com/sorokguillaume

BEAUTIES AND BEASTS

Miss Cote d'Ivoire, the pursuit of excellence. The slogan can be shocking when you listen to the questionable interventions of contestants. However, there is no reason to be offended. One thing is to seek excellence, another is to find it. This is perhaps what explains the great annual journey across the entire country, of the Organizers. They want to find that rare girl combining physical and intellectual beauty and it's quite difficult. 

Each year, this national competition raises questions about the reasons of its existence and its durability. But if some people want it to be canceled, others require the decoration of the Chairperson of the committee. Why not start by removing the phase of 'general culture'? That would be a breath of oxygen, for the reputation of the organizers, suffocating under the weight of criticism due to the intellect of the young ladies. 

On Saturday, June 4, 2012 again, the answers of pretenders to the throne were almost pitiful. They looked like pupils reciting a lesson not well learned. It was a shame. Then, Miss Gabon spoke, and it was  last nail to the cross of the shame of Ivorian. 

The show has so many things wrong. A faulty sound system, technical failures and a troubled host with bad jokes. Whether we liked it or not, a new beauty queen was elected. To help the frail shoulders of the girl, who must bear alone the burden of representing the Ivorian beauty on the international scene...gifts, great gifts and ... millions. 

A home to be well protected from the weather. A car not to exhaust her legs in the jungle of Abidjan pedestrians. Millions, to congratulate her for her efforts because walking with high heels is not everybody's portion! The contestant number 15 has learned it the hard way. 

Who said that there is no money in this country? The millions are here. Let's girls start parading in swimsuits. You see sponsors opening their big wallet. Are they not free to invest their money in the activity they like? What if the first lady wants to give a contribution? Who are we to complain? 

Nobody! Nobody but Ivorian noticing that governments are coming and going, elected or installed by force, but this competition remains the same. Worse, it gives birth to other versions by district, campus, age group, body parts. 

We are only bitter. As far as our mind can think,  we don't see how we could win over 15 million CFA francs, a villa and a car by only one-night of hard work. 

Maybe, we are idiots, beasts of burden because we cannot understand. We cannot understand people asking us to walk on the golden way of patience, with an empty stomach, when all the gold are constantly  removed for Queens' crown and to strengthen Kings' power.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PRISONNERS HUNT

Published in  L'intelligent d'Abidjan of May 22, 2012 

Prison break in Korhogo, Katiola Dimbokro Agboville, Abidjan ... It seems our prisons are real sieves. Yet they rebuilt the House of Detention and Correction of Abidjan after the post-election crisis. Around  two billions francs CFA spent. Obviously,  it did not include the strengthening of the security, but only the beauty and comfort of the infrastructure. But even in gold, a prison remains a prison, and the new prison, just as porous as the old one , has unleashed a flood of residents. Now, the police is trying to catch them. 

It's quiet amazing, when you know that safety is a priority for the new government which promised big changes. Easier said than done. Unable to prevent, they try to heal and sometimes find themselves playing the doctors after death. The exercise of power is not easy. 

In an attempt to catch the escapees, raids were introduced. The announcement was made on television to make it official and reassure all the people worried by the increased presence of military in the streets.

At 21heures, they invest the streets exactly as they do when there is a curfew. Strangely they don't check the identity of drivers. There target are pedestrians only.

It is known, fugitives moves only at night and by foot. Since "escaped" is not written on someone's forehead or on the identity card, people caught are taken to the police academy for verification. Which one ? Do they have a software which can tell if someone has been in jail, if he has finished to pay his debt to society or not, just by using his digital print, or entering his name ? I doubt it!

So the good citizens are forced to remain confined in their homes, not to risk falling into the tight mesh of a net that does not immediately distinguish between varieties of fish he takes. Finally, we are all prisoners.

With this campaign, the government exposed itself to critics. And they have already started. They are  talking about abuse, violence, injury to the dignity of man and torture during the arrests. They say it is a diversion to legitimize the witch hunt, or rather the "pro-Gbagbo sorcerers." hunt.

Whose fault is it, if such statements are made ? We are not in a usual scenario. There was a violent and bloody conflict, before the new President could start leading the country. Each step should be focused on reconciliation and surrounded by a good communication campaign.

INVITATIONS AND ME

People often get angry with me because I don't honor their invitations. I want to explain one reason behind my behavior.

When it comes to invitations, I have two principles and I am trying so hard to stick to it : 1-Never accept an invitation that will require spending money when I have no money and 2-never order something that my money cannot buy. I must have at least  in my pocket my transportation fees and the price of the food I eat.

Some guys  invite girls to eat and then  run away without paying. Others  ask you to come with a taxi, promising to pay. But, you cannot find them at the place of the appointement. I've heard so many embarrassing situations on the subject.

 A friend had been invited by a well known DJ. We were still in secondary school. He was not as famous as he is today. She had very little money and she wasted it on phone calls (because he was late) and drinks (she was thirsty while waiting). When he finally came, he did not pay for her drinks and for the calls.  Worse, he said he had an urgent appointment. They took a cab and once he arrived at his destination, he paid the exact amount appearing on the counter at that moment.  (750 or 950 F CFA , I don't remember). She had no money. She went to a friend's house to borrow money. The friend was absent. She had to explain everything to her friend's mother. All this embarrassement could have been avoided. 

Another acquaintance was invited to the beach by a suitor. When they ordered, he received a phone call. He had to make a quick run to Abidjan, but he promised to come back soon. He left 20 000 CFA francs to the girl. She was sitting at the table and ate well. It was getting late. No news of the guy. Phone closed. She decided to ask for the bill: 20 000 FCFA. She had nothing to go home. Can you imagine ? Alone, at night, in Bassam. I'll spare you more details. Thank God, she is still there to tell this story. 

When I finally explain why I didn't accept their invitation, some people are offended. 

"You do not trust me ! I thought we were friends" 

"When I invite a woman I take care of everything. What is this misplaced feminism?"

Gentlemen, it is not a problem of trust or feminism. I just do not want to get to wash dishes in a restaurant. I refuse to have to beg for money on the street. 

"Excuse me, I came to see a friend who told me he was going to pay my transportation to go home, but he is not there and his phone is closed. I need 500 CFA. Please. " God forbid.

It can be done in order to do harm or not (something unexpected can happen), but the result is the same: shame, humiliation. One word is enough for the wise.

 Photos: atoo.ci