2011 IN HINDSIGHT.

The year 2011 is going to be a very memorable year. It has seen the most unprecedented events occur; it has been a very active year at least on the international stage.
The Arab Spring; having been the most talked about issue this year, will be the scar on the face of 2011. The massive wave of change claiming ordinary and prominent people as casualties like Bin Ali the fomer Tunisian leader, Husein Mubarack of Egypt and the Asaad regime of Syria still under threat. Perhaps the highest leap of fall was taken by Lybia's Col. Gaddafi. It is then understandable for Time Magazine to award the coveted Person of The Year Award to The Protestor.
Osama bin-Laden's death at the hands of US Marine Seals and the decade annivesary celebration of 9/11 at Ground Zero and the recent demise of Kim joung-Il adds to the richness of this year at least to the historians.
Though a lot of African countries had controversial elections like the voilence marked Nigerian elections, the Ivorian elections stole the show; it now has Outarra as President and Laurent Gbagbo at The International Criminal court.
The Cambridges wedding was the wedding of the year. The wedding of then Prince William of Wales, Diana's and Charles' eldest and Kate Middleton was monumental; it was broadcasted live in over 100 countries. Oprah Winfrey ending her syndicate talk show was also huge in the history of television not just in America but the whole world as well. But the news story that must have brought the entire world to a stand still was the supposed end of the world propheseid by Pastor Harding.
So, if the world does not end by 31st December, 2011 at 23:59 GMT, then i wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. And 2011 being such an interesting year, 2012 is bound to be good since we are expected to have a lot of ripple effects from the 2011 events.

Ensuring safety on our roads isn't just the sole responsibility of the government, the MTTU wing of the police niether is it that of the National Road Safety Commission nor the drivers, but also the responsibility of we the passengers who sometimes urges the driver to speed up and the pedesterian as well as riders of bicycles and motors who often think the traffic rules and regulations does not apply to them, we have to show a lot more concern. What about the vulcanizer who did not fastened the nut well, then what part has the fitter played in the accident by ignoring the brake wire which wasn't in good shape while the vehicle was brought for servicing, a job he was paid to execute. There is a massacre occuring on our roads and untill we identify all the stakeholders involve in road safety and hold them accountabel for their actions, we will go down the drain. Road safety is our responsibility and not just a select few.

The recent gun and bomb attacks by the islamist group Boko Haram in the north-east of Nigeria which left a dead toll of about 63 people and even successful attacks on the countries security offices have raised interesting and well thoughtful questions about the countries security issues. The inability of the Nigerian security services to keep the Northen parts of the country safe for it's citizens is a very huge concern. These attacks with it's most high profile incedent being the suicide attack at the UN office in the country has in some ways made people aware of how far this islamist group is willing to go in order to achieve it's aims. The group among other things wants to create an independent islamist state in the northern part of Nigeria. But this group is not the only national security battle the Nigerian government is fighting. The government is fighting what seems to be a battle on three fronts with the first and probably the mort daring one being the fight with Boko Haram, second is the maintenance of security especially in the northern city of Jos where armed Christian and muslim men attack families under the cover of religious believe and the third front being the fight with what seems to be the now dormant Niger Delta Rebels. As i type this post the American government is warning of hotel attacks by the islamist group.
With response to these events, the international community seems to be doing very little to help the Nigerian government to coil the situation. ECOWAS, AU and the UN seems to be sitting back and watching the Nigerians themselves to clean up their home, but they are refusing to realize that the security of every country is a worldwide concern since the fall in security in Nigerha, Africa's most porpulous country and the largest economy in Africa after South Africa, will in the long run have an effect on the world securitz as a whole. Perhaps, it is time the entire world rises and stands by the Nigerian government to improve and sustain security in the country. All of us need to help build a very secure world.

I am very excited about starting this obviously incredible life long journey. Well if you are reading my blog, you will know i am a bit clumsy, that's because it's my first time, and i promise it will get beter with time. This amasing blog of mine despite my clumsiness is going to be the ultimate place for people to comment on stories making the news in the internatimal scene and the Ghanaian front. I will also be posting my assignments for you to know what my lectuerers think and you are welcome to comment on them. I
would like to tell you a bit about myself, i am 21 years old and the last of four sons of my parents who are known as Mr and Mrs Botchway. I am a christian and a strong believer of religious freedom, freedom of speech and the rule of law. I also believe we are responsible for the kind oe world we live in, so it is my hope that this blog will help us create a beter world for ourselves and generations to come. Goodnight and talk to you tomorrow.

THE FIRST