Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem

Capturing the spirit of his inimitable public-speaking style, this [mp3] of Tajudeen's comments at a debate on the union government at the 2007 African Union summit in Accra is a fitting testament to his ability to combine quick-thinking and humour when delivering a critical message.

The irony of Africa being a very rich continent but Africans being some of the poorest peoples in the world is no longer lost on anyone. While we can argue about the historical, structural, attitudinal, personal and institutional causes of this state of affairs the fact remains that majority of our peoples remain in need amidst plenty. Decades of Aid, humanitarian intervention, prayers, activism, development plans, action plans, government declarations and so many other initiatives have not ...read more

Its no surprise that the African Union (AU) can’t persuade people to ratify the when not even the commisioners’ countries are prepared to do so, writes Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem. Although 28 nations have already signed up to the charter, they are not obliged to comply with it unless they ratify it. Nor can the charter come into force until it is ratified by 15 countries, a goal, Tajudeen suggests, that the AU is unlikely to achieve given the lack of ‘political will’.

Highlighting the relative strength of Kenyans' voting power despite the country's difficulties, Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem contends that Nigerians have no illusions around their own votes. With Ekiti State witnessing the re-run of its local election following the Court of Appeal's 17 February 2009 ruling, the State Governor and People's Democratic Party's (PDP) Olusegun Oni faced Dr Kayode Fayemi of Action Congress (AC) on 25 April. Of national significance in potentially denting the PDP's near-mo...read more

cc As Kenya and Uganda face off over the sovereignty of the tiny Migingo Island in Lake Victoria, Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem suggests explanations for why two previously highly cordial nations have allowed the dispute to escalate to such a degree. While Uganda echoes the view of the Kenyan government that the dispute should be solved diplomatically, Abdul-Raheem suspects Uga...read more

Following his involvement in a recent joint ECA–CODESRIA conference, Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem reflects on his growing convictions around the importance of every individual doing their part to root out corruption in Africa. Suggesting that a collective policy of zero tolerance will be ultimately necessary, Abdul-Raheem urges Africa to look to many Asian countries for examples of how potential punishments can serve as effective deterrents.

Reflecting on the general progress on tackling gender-based violence on the African continent, Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem argues that while enshrining women’s rights in law represents a positive step, it is in the actual implementation of the spirit of the law that genuine advances are achieved.

Reflecting on some of the troublesome statistics around maternal mortality for sub-Saharan Africa, Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem urges greater support for the continent’s women. Arguing that these statistics need to be humanised to fully illuminate their severity, Abdul-Raheem laments the lottery of geographical proximity in determining people’s access to effective healthcare, along with the tendency of the politically powerful to wholly ignore the needs of their citizens. Stressing that a bleak stat...read more

With Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez having successfully won voters’ backing through a referendum on the removal of official term limits, Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem considers the dangers of allowing leaders of revolutionary clout to remain in power indefinitely. As a marked contrast from the country’s former imperially-backed political leaders, Abdul-Raheem points to the Chávez administration’s great achievements in health and education and continuing popularity with the poor. But if democracy is...read more

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Following Muammar al-Gaddafi’s election as the African Union’s new chairperson, Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem calls upon the long-time Libyan leader to promote genuine strides towards greater pan-African unity. Noting Gaddafi’s traditional support for minority groups and left-wing political causes across Africa and around the world at large, Abdul-Raheem argues that substantive achievement will rest on the ability of the new leader and the AU to effectively engage with pan-Africanists at all levels o...read more

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