Governor Abbott’s COVID comedy—the height of executive recklessness

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott has always used his physical paralysis as a talking point to advocate his zeal for overcoming individual challenges. Paralyzed from the waist down since 1984 after an accident involving an oak tree falling on him, Abbott has used a wheelchair ever since. In fact, through this experience, this Governor explained that our lives “aren’t defined by our challenges,” but by how individuals respond to those challenges.

However, since he assumed office on January 20, 2015, Abbott has shown little or no compassion in enacting or endorsing policies that favor the wellbeing of others. In the election campaign leading up to his governorship in 2014, Abbott’s stone-heartedness to matters of public policy came up when his challenger, the Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis drew attention to the matter.


Abbott remains a dishonest ingrate who made a fortune off his accident through both the justice and the health system, but who also turned around and denied those very same privileges to his fellow Texans.

― Dr. Anthony Obi Ogbo


Davis unequivocally portrayed Abbott as a dishonest ingrate who made a fortune off his accident through both the justice and the health system, but who also turned around and denied those very same privileges to his fellow Texans. This may sound insensitive, but Abbott’s approach to very sensitive public policy issues over the years shows a pattern of recklessness and cruelty.

It may be recalled that in April 2020, when the world was still under a COVID lockdown, Abbott issued several Executive Orders detailing an ill-informed plan to open businesses and activities in Texas. Even in June when cases in Texas were rising, Abbott insisted that there was no need to modify his failed strategy. The situation got worse with unimaginable daily death rates.

At the time, Texas broke COVID records when more than 5,000 people tested positive―the highest number since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also announced that 97% of the intensive care unit beds in the city were filled at the time, with more than one quarter occupied by those suffering from coronavirus. These were alarming moments in the pandemic ignored by a selfish Governor who just did not care.

But this past Tuesday, Abbott again shocked the entire world when he announced the revocation of orders regulating the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. He announced the lifting of the statewide mask mandate and opening of all businesses at 100 percent capacity. To make it worse, he invoked the usual anti-mask conspiracy phrase that people and businesses do not need the state telling them how to operate.

Ever since this announcement, news outlets have been agog with controversies emitting from all political spheres. Abbott tried to defend his stupidity but made it worse each time he verbalized a defense. He claimed that “with the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus.” But local leaders from across Texas immediately took to the air to lampoon Abbott for ignoring Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations and putting the lives of millions of Texans at greater risk.

Former State Representative, Beto O’Rourke, called Abbot’s decision “a death warrant for Texans.” Julián Castro, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, called it “a desperate political move by a politician scared that he’s lost a lot of support after his incompetence with the recent winter storm.” Representative Sheila Jackson Lee expressed disappointment when she described “the State of Texas that has for many weeks been a hot spot for COVID-19.” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg lamented that Texas “is still not out of the woods.” Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner called the move a “national embarrassment.” According to Turner, “every time we start moving in the right direction the Governor steps in and sets us back and makes all of our jobs harder.” In addition, the Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, who is a Republican, called Abbott’s order “premature.”

Even when this Governor realized that his actions were reckless and dumb, he did not back down from disgraceful idiocy. He went after President Joe Biden who equally criticized his decision, claiming, without evidence, that migrants coming into Texas are exposed to the coronavirus by the state’s residents. This was the same dude who held up every effort by the Biden administration to provide federal funds for testing migrants released from custody.

Abbot’s latest comedy displays might not be coincidental. He may just be compromising the lives of thousands of Texans to structure his next tenure. November 8, 2022, Texans will have another opportunity to elect a governor. As the state does not have gubernatorial term limits, Abbott is looking to run for a third term. In other words, more drama would be expected from Abbott to incite tension, create fear, and cause more COVID fatalities among the masses to galvanize his political base.

Just like the former president, Donald Trump, Abbott’s approach to managing this pandemic has been a total disaster. He has convincingly revealed his inability to understand his mandate to protect lives. Since the pandemic, he has unwisely flip-flopped from one thoughtless decision to the other and has proclaimed unfeasible orders inconsistent with the COVID statistical reality of his state.

He does not even care that Texas rates among the worst in the nation’s vaccine distribution, averaging 47th out of the 50 states in terms of per capita distribution. As of the time of his announcement rolling back statewide pandemic restrictions, data from the CDC shows that Texas had some of the lowest per capita vaccine distribution numbers. It takes a heartless soul to ignore these statistical facts.

In addition, this is a state still recovering from a damaging winter storm that left millions without power or clean water, which also hindered the state’s pandemic response by causing a sharp increase in vaccine doses that went to waste. Reportedly, about 1,500 doses of COVID vaccines went to waste from Texas power outages.


♦ Anthony Ogbo, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor at Texas Southern University is the author of the Influence of Leadership (2015)  and the Maxims of Political Leadership (2019). Contact: anthony@guardiannews.us

Ejecting Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott —the ballot box option

Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott are not going to resign. Texans are going to have to beat both Abbott and Cruz-and other Republicans-at the ballot box in 2022 and 2024.

For Texas Democrats to win in 2022 and 2024, the hard work must begin now. The Texas Coalition of Black Democrats needs your help to increase our investments in Black voter registration, issue education, and turn out to help our State move on from the incompetence of Texas Republicans.

The cornerstone to winning Texas in 2022 and 2024-like Georgia Democrats did last November- is investing in maximizing Black voter turnout, especially in rural communities as well as in urban and suburban counties.

Texas has the biggest Black population in our nation and investments by Democratic donors in Texas Black voter registration, outreach, education, and turnout need to be significantly increased starting right now.


By Carroll G. Robinson

If you want to help beat Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott, then please donate to the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats’ Texas Black Democrats PAC right now.

The Texas Coalition of Black Democrats has already started working on winning Texas (in 2022 and 2024) with early investments in targeted statewide digital advertising, campaign schools, a statewide Black voter registration campaign, outreach to Black pastors and churches, and supporting Democratic candidates in this year’s Texas municipal and school board elections all across our state to build a stronger foundation from which to grow Black Democratic voter turnout in 2022 and 2024.

To sustain this strategic infrastructure building, The Coalition needs both small-dollar donors and long-term strategic investment partners.

If Texas Democrats want to achieve and exceed what Georgia Democrats did last November, Texas democratic donors have got to invest and partner with the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats beginning this year.

If we’ve learned nothing else from Stacy Abrams, we should have learned that to maximize Black voter turnout to win, the work and investments must begin early. Elections are won with investments and hard-work done well in advance of an election year.

It’s not enough to curse the dark and complain about the incompetence of Abbott, Cruz, and other Texas Republican leaders – including Patrick and Paxton – we actually have to invest in Black voter turnout to defeat them.

You can help make a difference in Texas right now. Donate today to The Texas Black Democrats PAC. Donate here >>>

Thank you and God Bless Houston. For constructive dialogue, you may contact me directly >>>

Hon. Carroll G. Robinson, Esq.
State Chairman, Texas Coalition of Black Democrats

Hon. Robinson is the former Chairman, City of Houston Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee; Former Vice Chairman, Houston-Galveston Area Council Transportation Policy Council (H-GAC TPC) and Associate Professor of Public Administration, Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University.

All Souls Don’t Rest in Peace—So Long Rush Limbaugh

It is amazing how this numbskull—some empty-headed vandal who dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University after a miserable two-semester attendance—could captivate about 15 million listeners a week who tuned in for his daily three-hour program. 

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I have not had this in a long time, but this day, I honestly felt that Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Merlot would perfectly suit the occasion. So immediately after the death of the conservative talk show radio scoundrel, Rush Limbaugh, was announced, I went into a celebration mode.

With glasses of this wild but soft, delicate, herbal, and silky ruddy liquid, and of course, over some jungle-roasted groundnuts, I watched YouTube videos of Limbaugh’s numerous tommyrots―hate speeches and conspiracy tales. I celebrated all day, and I was glad I did. Because, aside from the Saw-Scaled Vipers, COVID-19, and Donald Trump, the only other evil that I hate with a passion is this brute called Rush Limbaugh.


Aside from the Saw-Scaled Vipers, COVID-19, and Donald Trump, the only other evil that I hate with a passion is this brute called Rush Limbaugh.

― Dr. Anthony Obi Ogbo


I already know. We should “Never speak ill of the dead” because, at the least, death is supposed to humble us all. I understand that literature. In fact, in my very Christian community and African culture, there is this unwritten law that people should not say bad things about those who have died. This is to honor the solemn period and show respect to the deceased by forgetting and forgiving their bad actions while remembering only their good ones.

Rush Limbaugh died on 17th February 2021, which saw news headlines going gaga with contrasting messages over the value and legacy he lived. He was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and finally gave up at 70. But for 32 years, this dude facilitated fiery rhetoric that infiltrated political discourse across America with schismatic contention. He hated a united America.

He shot at core governmental policies and causes that are relevant to African Americans and other minorities.

He was brutal throughout his career, targeting Blacks and minorities and documenting and destroying them through lies and treacheries. He shot at core governmental policies and causes that are relevant to African Americans and other minorities. He specifically disliked everything Black and targeted with racist attacks every admired and respected people of African descent, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Colin Powell, Barack Obama, and many others.

Of course, the world saw how this man targeted Obama—the first African American President of the United States, whom he referred to as “Halfrican American.” He proceeded with a mischievous campaign that Obama was not Black but a Kenyan Arab. He questioned everything about Obama, including his birth, education, and family tree, and recurrently used “Barack the Magic Negro”―an obsolete Jim Crow-era anti-Black term, as background music. He once suggested that James Earl Ray (the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr.) deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor. He also suggested that the NAACP should have riot rehearsals: get a liquor store and practice robberies.

It is amazing how this numbskull—some empty-headed vandal who dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University after a miserable two-semester attendance—could captivate about 15 million listeners a week who tuned in for his daily three-hour program. I must confess, Limbaugh had a unique subject composition and delivery style that makes his show a perfect hub for the White Supremacists. He would announce his target or policies, initiate the news matter in the most distorted manner, and meticulously trash-talk his conspiracy theories to further woo a clueless flock of listeners who often believed him even when he faked a cough.

Ironically, he died of lung cancer after downplaying the dangers of smoking.

Today, Limbaugh is no more. Ironically, he died of lung cancer after downplaying the dangers of smoking. Then he was a front-runner of Covid-19 denial media bigots. He repeatedly lied about the coronavirus and despicably suggested that the virus was nothing more than a stunt by people opposed to President Donald Trump.

Those who benefited from his idiocy praised him. For instance, his wife, Kathryn Limbaugh, did what any wife of a villain would do. She eulogized him as, “An extraordinary man. A gentle giant. Brilliant, quick-witted, genuinely kind, extremely generous, passionate, courageous, and the hardest-working person I know.”

Former President Donald Trump issued a statement that read in part: “Rush was a patriot, a defender of Liberty, and someone who believed in all of the greatness our country stands for.” Former Vice President Mike Pence, who also benefited from Limbaugh’s nonsense, commemorated him in a series of tweets. He tweeted, “For more than 30 years, no one did more to educate, inform, inspire, and just plain entertain Americans about the issues of the day than Rush Limbaugh.”

While conservatives across the nation mourned Limbaugh, his victims also took to social media to celebrate his demise. In one of over a thousand tweets lampooning him, comedian Paul F. Tompkins tweeted, “If I had to say something positive, I guess I’m glad Rush Limbaugh lived long enough to get cancer and die.” Bishop Talbert W. Swan II, president of a Massachusetts branch of the NAACP, shared his thoughts in a reply to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s tweet eulogizing Limbaugh. According to Bishop Swan II, “Rush Limbaugh was a despicable racist. He was a vile, repugnant white supremacist who denigrated Black people, mocked those dying of AIDS and other diseases, and stoked the flames of bigotry and hatred. Our country has lost one of its most wicked voices. Praise God.”

Judi Ketteler, author of Would I Lie to You? The Amazing Power of Being Honest in a World That Lies wrote, “People who have made a living out of spreading outrageous lies are generally not stupid. They are experts at self-deception.” In the Rolling Stone, Bob Moser wrote, “How the right-wing talk radio icon corrupted the Republican Party, spread hate, racism, and lies, and laid the groundwork for Trumpism.” NPR Houston Public Media, David Folkenflik, “Before right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, before Fox News, there was Limbaugh.”

As I write, the body of Rush Limbaugh lies lifelessly awaiting a process that will finally commit him to Mother Earth. No doubt, he left this earth with his destructive attitude, and racist demeanor.

In society, generally, we would want all departed souls to rest in peace. Some very holy Christians would advocate praying and forgiving their enemies, haters, oppressors, or bullies to pacify the Gospel according to Matthew 5:44, that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. On the contrary, Isaiah 48:22 declared, “’There is no peace,’ says the Lord, ‘for the wicked.’” Therefore, from the spiritual perspective, all souls don’t rest in peace—not a wicked soul like Limbaugh, who spent his entire lifetime lying, conniving, hating, and destroying other souls.

For a man whom the Devil blessed with just two major Hobbies: Insults and Cigars, and who ironically died of Cancer, going to Hell makes sense.

Also, individuals must not be bullied for their opinions about the dead. They must not be scorned for celebrating the death of their predators. In the dominion of organizational politics, death is what gives the victim solace over the dictators. Thus, victims must not be discouraged from rejoicing over the death of those monsters who make their lives miserable.

Limbaugh has vehemently hurt my people, and for me, it is so long, Dude. It is understandable if he makes it to Hell. For a man whom the Devil blessed with just two major Hobbies: Insults and Cigars, and who ironically died of Cancer, going to Hell makes sense.


♦ Anthony Ogbo, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor at Texas Southern University is the author of the Influence of Leadership (2015)  and the Maxims of Political Leadership (2019). Contact: anthony@guardiannews.us

Blacks for Trump — An Obnoxious Case of Imbecility

An African proverb says that a man who is not mindful of how his father died is most likely to become of victim of the exact thing that killed his father. This expression holds true when we view in awe, the deliberate ignorance, and blind emotional path many of my African American brethren are taking. President Donald J Trump has neither displayed any act of love nor exhibited a readiness to drive the course of uniting Americans as one indivisible nation geared for Greatness!


BY ANTHONY OBI OGBO

These selfish morons trivialize the blood of their forebears that have constantly watered the tree of liberty.  


The fact that this President arrogantly refuses to denounce white supremacy during a presidential debate —instead, he told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”—is enough for him to lose the support of the entire Black Community. Indeed, because the African-American Community has spent its entire origin fighting against racial discrimination and injustice in America, Trump’s obsession with the supremacists would have rendered him the worst enemy of the Black race.

Trump’s Long History of Racism, from the 1970s to 2020

Trump Administration Civil and Human Rights Rollbacks


That is not all. This President started lying even before he was sworn-in, exaggerated his economic gains for African Americans which he actually inherited from his predecessors. He fraudulently paraded inaccurate figures during his regime to substantiate his transformation of the Black Economy. Of course, there was a reduction in Black unemployment, but much of the progress came during the Obama Administration. Household median income also was higher for blacks before Trump took office. Please, Factcheck these statistics!


What is more? Donald Trump’s action is not just insulting to the entire Black race, but an abomination to the African ancestors for an established racist to sit among supposedly Black spiritual leaders, and avow that his Administration has done more for the Black community than any other President since Abraham Lincoln!


So, when Black Pastors walked out from a meeting with Trump to fraudulently sell him as a “Chosen” leader, it became obvious that these idiots have been shamelessly compromised. And these same Black Evangelicals would close their eyes, and claim to hear God. Hear God? They are deaf, sickeningly selfish, and economically self-centered! Are you there?
In fact, the Greenville pastor, John Gray, came back to compare to his meeting Trump to Jesus. What a travesty of spirituality. Most abominable! Today, a few Black celebrities have been on President Trump’s Campaign payroll, corroborating wicked conspiracy theories with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to woo Black voters. These selfish morons trivialize the blood of their forebears that have constantly watered the tree of liberty. Greed is keeping them blind!


Please note that there is nothing wrong with African-Americans exercising their rights to not only join any political party but also to legitimately make their choices regarding policies and politics. However, how they make those choices matter.


Out of greed, selfishness, and ignorance, these stooges came up with a discreditable self-destructive Vote-Trump Campaign option that might pose devastating consequences to themselves, their communities, and their unborn generation.


The existence of Core Black conservative associations is not new, for even the Republican Party has for years sustained a substantial African-American membership base. However, we have a million reasons why Donald Trump, the incumbent President currently sweating a reelection battle, is considered dangerous — not just to the country, but also to people of color. And that is why I am calling out the moronic options of “Blacks for Donald Trump” and all other African American entities who are blindly supporting Trump.


Whereas these idiots are out there spreading Trump’s conspiracy gospels, it must be noted that from Economy and Education — to criminal justice, the policies rolled out by this regime are not just hurting African Americans and other people of color, but also would persist for years in its ravaging influences if nothing is done to halt it. Evil conspiracies kill generations before they are born.


To Donald Trump Campaign spin-doctors, know that TRUTH and FACTS will always wipe off the most portent conspiracies to obliviousness! One day, we shall reflect on the events of the season, and close it out with a Biblical phrase “And it Came to Pass…”!


I am not a prophet, but watch out for the self-damaging repercussions of your sightless choices!


♦ Anthony Ogbo, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor at Texas Southern University is the author of the Influence of Leadership (2015)  and the Maxims of Political Leadership (2019). Contact: anthony@guardiannews.us

Establishment of the office of Election Administrator in our County

Dear Harris County Election Administrator:

I am writing to recap and expand on my recommendations to the Harris County Commissioners Court, regarding the establishment of the office of Election Administrator in our County.


By Carroll G. Robinson

First, under the law, once the Commissioners Court creates the office of Election Administrator, it will be the Harris County Election Commission that will have the power to hire and fire the election administrator, not Commissioners Court.

The members of the Election Commission are the County Judge, County Clerk, Tax Accessor Collector, Harris County Democratic Party Chair and Harris County Republican Party Chair.

Four of the five members of the Harris County Election Commission are Democrats and include Ann Bennett the Tax Accessor-Collector and Chris Hollins the Interim County Clerk. Once a new County Clerk is elected, they will replace Chris Hollins on the Election Commission. This is why I am supporting Teneshia Hudspeth for County Clerk. I hope that all the Harris County Democratic Party Precinct Chairs will also support putting her on the November ballot as the Democratic Party candidate for the job.

Second, Commissioners Court and the Harris County Election Commission should create a 15-member Community Advisory Board composed of both Republican and Democratic precinct chairs and other community leaders to participate in the hiring process for the election administrator.

This process should be similar to the process utilized by community colleges and universities when they hire a new President or Chancellor. There should be community forums to introduce the top two or three candidates to the public so that voters can ask the candidates questions and the candidates can understand that public interaction with voters would be an essential part of their duties.

Third, the Advisory Board should remain in place after the hiring process and the Election Administrator should be required to meet with the Advisory Board on a quarterly basis every year.

Fourth, the Election Administrator should be required to report to and brief Commissioners Court at least thirty (30) days before all elections and provide an after-action report to both Commissioners Court and the Advisory Board within sixty days following an election.

Fifth, the County Attorney should specifically be designated General Counsel for the office of Election Administrator. The County Attorney should be required to designate an Assistant County Attorney to work full time in the office of the Election Administrator.

Sixth, any and all changes in election polling locations proposed by the Election Administrator must be discussed in advance with the Community Advisory Board and be subject to pre-clearance by the County Attorney before any such changes could be implemented.

Seventh, the Election Administrator and their office should be subject to an annual performance evaluation and a sunset review every five (5) or ten (10) years.

Finally, the office of Election Administrator should be charged with the responsibility of achieving 100% voter registration among the voter eligible population of Harris County by 2025.

It is my belief that if these structural safeguards are adopted and implemented as a part of the creation of the office of Election Administrator, in Harris County, the voice of the community will be enhanced and the rights of the voters elevated and better protected.

Thank you and God Bless Houston. For constructive dialogue, you may contact me directly >>>

Carroll G. Robinson, Esq.

Hon. Robinson is the former Chairman, City of Houston Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee; Former Vice Chairman, Houston-Galveston Area Council Transportation Policy Council (H-GAC TPC) and Associate Professor of Public Administration, Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University.

Have Black Women Finally Been Included in, “We the People”?

When the United States Constitution was completed on September 17, 1787, women and people of color were arguably excluded and marginalized. The first three words of the Preamble—“We the People”—were written to affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. Moreover, it proclaims who is adopting the Constitution. This poses a conundrum for Black women because it suggests that we intentionally adopted provisions that purposely underserved us. Or, as the late Hon. Barbara Jordan once said, “I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake.”



By LATRESHIA A. HAMILTON

Still, a Black woman’s presence on the presidential ticket and in the White House—by itself—is not enough. Black women are not interested in tokenism and symbolism. Systemic change is required.


When the Framers of the Constitution drafted the governing document during the Constitutional Convention, enslaved African Americans, then-referred to in the text as “other persons,” were counted as three-fifths of a free person for taxation and congressional representation purposes. This was done under the Three-Fifths Compromise proposed by delegate James Wilson of  Pennsylvania and seconded by Charles Pinckney of South Carolina. However, such a compromise would later be repealed by the ratification of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments.

Despite the initial stature relegated to us, in recent years, Black women have become a powerful voting bloc. In 2008, with the help and support of Black women, Barack Obama became the first African American ever elected president of the United States. Moreover, during the 2018 midterm elections, 55% of non-Hispanic Black women turned out to vote, a slightly higher share than for the total voting-age population. According to the Pew Research Center, Black women voted for Democratic congressional candidates 92% of the time. Meaning, African American women voted for Democratic candidates at a higher rate than any other demographic—across gender, race, and ethnicity—in the United States.

Nonetheless, the Democratic Party has overlooked and undervalued the support of Black women. However, that could change under a Joseph R. Biden Administration.

In his campaign promise to “Build Back Better,” Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden has vowed to prioritize the full inclusion of and equality for women—particularly women of color.

As President, Mr. Biden has said that he “will pursue an aggressive and comprehensive plan to further women’s economic and physical security and ensure that women can fully exercise their civil rights.” Specifically, The Biden Agenda for Women will improve economic security, expand access to health care and tackle health inequities, help women navigate work and families, end violence against women, and protect and empower women around the world.

To hold steadfast to his promise, Joe Biden knows that he must enlist the help of Black women. In doing so, his first order of business was selecting Senator Kamala Harris of California as his running mate, making her the first-ever African American woman and the first woman of Asian descent nominated for vice president by a major political party.

On August 19th, Senator Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s historic vice-presidential nomination. If elected, Harris would be the sixth African American woman to ever enter the line of succession for the presidency of the United States, behind former cabinet members Patricia Roberts Harris, Hazel R. O’Leary, Alexis M. Herman, Condoleezza Rice, and Loretta E. Lynch.

Biden was astute in naming Senator Harris as his running mate. Not only does Senator Harris have a multicultural background, but she is uniquely aligned with the African American community in a way that no president or vice president has ever been before. Senator Harris attended Howard University, a historically black university and the so-called “Mecca” of Black education, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first historically African American Greek-letter sorority.

Still, a Black woman’s presence on the presidential ticket and in the White House—by itself—is not enough. Black women are not interested in tokenism and symbolism. Systemic change is required. To improve the quality of life for Black women and their families, transformative laws, policies, reforms, and initiatives must be put in place.

Biden pledged that, if elected president, he would nominate the first African American woman to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Vice President Biden is cognizant of the necessary changes that must take effect to empower Black women and he has a plan.

After becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee, Biden pledged that, if elected president, he would nominate the first African American woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. Such a nomination and subsequent Senate confirmation would not only be historic, but it has the potential to have a generational impact on the judicial system—especially the criminal justice system, the African American community, and our Nation.

Additionally, Biden has vowed to address the gender and racial wage gap that disproportionately impacts women of color, particularly Black women.

On average, Black women make $0.62 (cents) for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. According to Equal Pay Day, Black women had to work an additional seven and a half months this year, on top of the 12 months they worked last year, to make as much as their white male, non-Hispanic counterparts in 2019.

Such statistics are staggering given that 80% of Black women are the primary breadwinners for their household, roughly two-thirds of Black women are the head of households, and a large percentage of Black women have a high debt-to-income ratio due to student loans.

On August 13th, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, Vice President Biden acknowledged the discrepancy by stating, “Black women are the backbone of their families, communities, our economy, and our country. And we will ensure they earn the pay, and the dignity and respect they deserve.”

In addition, Biden’s “Lift Every Voice” proposal for Black America can make far-reaching investments in ending health disparities by race. African Americans have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), Blacks (and Latinos) in the U.S. are three times more likely to become infected than their white counterparts. Additionally, Black (and Latino) people are nearly twice as likely to die from the virus as white people.

Per the CDC, “long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put many people from racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19.” Underlying factors that contribute to these increased risks include discrimination, healthcare access and utilization, occupation, educational, income, and wealth gaps, and housing.

Suffice it to say, several issues are plaguing the African American community and must be addressed in the upcoming election.

On November 3rd, Americans will cast their ballots to decide who will be President and Vice President for the next four years. Black women are at a critical juncture because, in large part, we have a say in who that will be. The Black community has a lot at stake in this election—education, healthcare, the economy, environmental justice, criminal justice, and voting rights. Black women have to be forward-thinking in deciding who to vote for.

If Black women are to be included in “We the People,” we must elect leaders who will ensure and guarantee our full inclusion, participation, and representation in the democratic process. I urge you to consider what Black women stand to gain under a Joseph R. Biden Administration.

LaTreshia A. Hamilton, J.D. is a lawyer, writer, and global affairs professional from Houston, Texas. She holds a Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, a Master of Arts in Global Affairs from Rice University’s James A. Baker, III Institute for Public Policy and the School of Social Sciences, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas Tech University.

To contact this author directly, please click >>>

Allen Onyema and Air Peace V. US Department of Justice: Points to Ponder

“The Nigerian media space went agog when the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division on November 19, 2019, filed Case 1:19-cr-00464, A “True Bill”, otherwise known as Grand Jury Criminal Indictment against the persons of Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, a Nigerian Citizen, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace; and Ejiroghene Eghagha, a Nigerian citizen and the Chief of Administration and Finance of Air Peace. Commentators have speculated on the guilt or innocence of the accused. 


By  Emmanuel N. Emenyonu, Ph.D

My purpose is to shade some light on the issues using the tools of my professional training and exposure, given that this is of national importance to Nigeria and Nigerians both home and abroad.”


Others have offered some theories relating to the motivations and hidden hands behind the Indictment. Some ‘experts’ have pontificated on the seriousness of the charges especially money laundering. Some commentators have even likened the Indictment to some recent high profile indictments involving some Nigerians alleged to have engaged in sundry cybercrimes and advanced fee fraud schemes. 

Nothing could be furthest from the truth as there are hardly any facts in the November 19, 2019 Grand Jury Indictment supporting any such comparison. Let me make it clear that the purpose of this article is not to hold brief for the accused persons. It is my understanding that they accused persons as should be expected, have retained competent counsels for that purpose. 

My purpose is to shade some light on the issues using the tools of my professional training and exposure, given that this is of national importance to Nigeria and Nigerians both home and abroad.

In all, the indictment alleges in its 36 pages and 88 paragraphs 35 counts of diverse criminal offences. Count One alleges Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud an offence covered by title 18 of U.S. Code (U.S.C.)§ 1349. Counts Two to Four allege Bank Fraud contrary to 18 U.S. C. § 1344. Counts Five to Eight allege Conspiracy to Commit Credit Application Fraud, covered under 18 U.S. C. § 371. Counts Nine through Thirty-Five allege Money Laundering, covered under 18 U.S.C § 1957. Finally, Count Thirty-Six, 

Aggravated Identity Theft, 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1). Counts One to Eight, name both Allen Onyema and Ejiroghene Eghagha as defendants. Counts Nine to Thirty-Five, specifically name only Allen Onyema as defendant. Count Thirty-Six names Ejiroghene Eghagha as the sole defendant. If convicted of any of the charges, the Indictment is seeking for forfeiture to the United States of any property derived from proceeds traceable to such offenses, including Money Judgment and Banks Funds held in JP Morgan Chase Account ending in 5512 ($4,017,852.51), Bank of Montreal Canada account number ending 7523 ($4,593,842.05) and Bank of Montreal Canada account number ending in 7515 ($5,634,842.04), totaling $14,246,536.60.
Count One, paragraph 1 alleges that the defendants conspired to, “knowingly devise and execute and attempt to execute a scheme and artifice (i) to defraud financial institutions the deposits of which were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, that is, Wells Fargo Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA, and (ii) to obtain and attempt to obtain moneys, funds and assets owned by and under the custody and control of those financial institutions by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, as well as by omission of material facts, in violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344.” 

The charges continue from paragraph 2 to give the profile of Mr. Onyema, his trips to Atlanta, opening of US Bank Accounts, transference of funds from Nigerian bank accounts to US bank accounts, ownership of Air Peace, personal expenses at Atlanta area stores and even eating at restaurants and sundry immaterial issues. 


May be, these were aimed at the emotions of the members of the grand jury.  No where did the indictment actually convey how the defendants harmed US depositors and their funds. 


Counts Nine to Thirty-Five give a list of routine transfers from one Wells Fargo Account ending 8621 to two other Wells Fargo Accounts ending in 0125 and 8020, all belonging to and under the control of the accused persons ranging in amounts from $150,000.00 to $1,000,000.00.
The charges either expressly or impliedly cover a wide array of complex topics dealing with international letters of credit, such as: international aviation business; structuring of operations between a foreign parent company and its subsidiary(ies); international banking and financial flows; international transfer pricing and taxation; and Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulations enforcement. 


Any one of these topics is complex enough all by itself and a case that has combinations of these topics is bound to be very difficult to untangle.
It is important to always bear in mind that this is a Grand Jury Indictment, usually secured ex parte, that is, in the absence of the accused. In Grand Jury proceedings the accused is not entitled to Sixth Amendment rights to defense counsel in the grand jury room, nor the right to examine and cross examine witnesses. 


From its historical intentions of protecting innocent citizens against overzealous prosecutors, some experts opine that the American Grand Jury system is broken. 

For instance, the American Bar Association, has criticized the GJ system for “being a mere rubber stamp for the prosecution without adequate procedural safeguards”. William J. Campbell, a former federal district judge in Chicago, noted in 1973 that: 
“[T]oday, the grand jury is the total captive of the prosecutor who, if he is candid, will concede that he can indict anybody, at any time, for almost anything, before any grand jury.” 

Not much has changed since Judge Campbell made those observations. In an Editorial on Sunday, April 16, 2012, the New York Sun reminded readers that, the Chief Judge of New York State’s highest court, Sol Wachtler, “once said that grand juries were so pliable that a prosecutor could get a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich.” 

It is therefore important for people especially in the court of public opinion to withhold judgement based on a one-sided narrative presented by the prosecutors, who have been known to be overzealous. It is not unheard off to have Grand Jury indictments dismissed. 

For instance according to the 2018 Annual Statistical Report of the US Attorneys Office, out of the 151 non narcotics related Money Laundering indictments that were determined, 18, representing about 12 percent were dismissed.

As at last count, it has been reported that the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has entered the fray. The EFCC will need to bear in mind that the overriding interest in the US Department of Justice Grand Jury Indictment against the named officials of Air Peace is the interest of the United States, not natural justice per se. 
The US DOJ in the Indictment is asking that funds which clearly originated from Nigeria should be forfeited to the United States if the accused are found guilty. 

This is against natural justice and biased towards US interests. In the Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Statistical Report of the US Attorneys Report, the US Department of Justice declined to press ahead with the prosecution of a total of 2,573 alleged criminal matters on account of “Prioritization of Federal Resources and Interests (emphasis mine) “. 
A partial breakdown of some of these offenses the US DOJ declined to prosecute for the above stated reasons: violent crimes (452), Terrorism/National Security (171), Drugs (414), Official Corruption (67), white collar crimes (623), government regulatory offenses (99) and organized crime (13). These are very serious offenses for the US DOJ to decline prosecution citing prioritization of Federal Resources and Interests. 
I have not seen anything in the Grand Jury 

Indictment of the CEO of Air Peace Chief Allen Onyema and the Chief Administrative and Financial Officer of the same company Mr. Eghagha to warrant the US DOJ to rank this issue higher in their priority than even crimes involving terrorism and national security of the United States. Except there are aspects to this case that the US DOJ has not mentioned yet, the Nigerian EFCC should resist the temptation to be used as a pliant tool for bringing down a thriving Nigerian company that is providing jobs directly and indirectly for thousands of people all across Nigeria and beyond. 
The EFCC should remember the case of Arthur Andersen LLP which was charged by the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas on May 6, 2002, in connection with the ENRON scandal, convicted on June 15, 2002; the conviction affirmed by the 5th Circuit (the relevant US Federal Appeal Court) in 2004, only for the US Supreme Court to overturn the rulings of these lower courts in favor of Arthur Andersen in 2005. 
Unfortunately, for the Arthur Andersen, it was unable to recover from these legal setbacks and had to shut its doors notwithstanding the ruling of the highest court in the land. 

Overzealous US DOJ prosecutions can lead to incalculable harm to individuals and companies even when they are finally exonerated. The economic interest of Nigeria should weigh heavily on the minds of the leaders of EFCC as they proceed on this issue.

In conclusion, with respect to Money Laundering cases, banks and financial institutions who are the gatekeepers of the financial system have a high degree of responsibility in combating the crime by adhering to AML due process procedures especially, knowing their customers (KYC). 
This is a major plank of Anti Money Laundering (AML) laws and regulations in many jurisdictions. 

For instance, in September 2019, ING, the big Dutch bank was fined the sum of $900 million for lapses in the bank’s KYC implementation. If as alleged, Air Peace and the leaders of the company engaged in serial AML offenses using wells Fargo, why is Wells Fargo Bank not included in the Indictment or in any separate indictment for that matter for Counts Nine to Thirty-Five? 

It appears here that the US DOJ is primarily concerned with protecting Wells Fargo and the two other systemically important banks named in the Indictment. 

The connotation of sinister criminal activities on the part of the accused which has been suggested by the Indictment and various headlines is not supported by a careful reading of the Indictment. 
Usually in major financial crime cases such as this, the indicting US Federal agency will identify the victims and the magnitude in US dollar terms of losses suffered by the victims. No victims were specifically mentioned not to talk of the monetary amount of the losses incurred by the victims. 

The US companies that sold airplanes and the banks that profited from facilitating those transactions have not asked to disgorge the profits arising from those transactions. Air Peace and the accused persons should put up a robust defense to clear their names from what looks to be an overreach by zealous prosecutors.

Emmanuel N. Emenyonu, Ph.D (Glasgow), LLB (London), CPA (Massachusetts), FCA (Nigeria), a Professor of Fraud and Forensic Accounting at Southern Connecticut State University, has at various times taught International Accounting, Financial Accounting, Taxation, Finance and Accounting Information Systems at leading universities such as University of Nigeria, Yale University, Covenant University, Howard University and Quinnipiac University

Enemies within: Novice African-American Women Judges might be under vindictive surveillance

Judge Smoots-Thomas is in trouble today because she is not  Senator Ted Cruz. Novice African-American Women Judges must reassess their community activities, political conduct, and financial practices to comply with the demands of their new designation.

After a Harris County District Court Judge Alexandra Smoots-Thomas was indicted and later suspended for allegedly misappropriating $26,000 in campaign contributions, it became obvious that “Black Girl Magic Texas,” might be under disgusting surveillance. Every move, every breath might be under systemic scrutiny.  “Black Girl Magic Texas,” represented 19 Black women (17 beginners) who ran for a judge in Texas Harris County–and all 19 won. Together, they made history, becoming the largest group of Black female judges to be elected at the same time in Harris County history.


BY ANTHONY OBI OGBO

The fine art of judging is a complex phenomenon provoked by thoughtful application of law and the test of constitutionality.  


Smoots-Thomas’s indictment was brutal. For instance, earlier this month, she was led into a federal magistrate’s courtroom in Houston wearing handcuffs where she pleaded not guilty to all charges. Her attorney, Kent Schaffer, said the judge’s prosecution was political.  Schaffer, a partner at Schaffer Carter & Associates in Houston, claimed it happened because Smoots-Thomas was an African American and a Democrat.  Smoots-Thomas was first elected in 2008 and reelected in 2012 and 2016.

Schaffer was right. Smoots-Thomas is Black and Blue. It was obvious that a sudden change of the County’s court districts from red to blue would come with dire consequences. This strain actually started years back when the “Black Girls Are Magic” campaign mantra was conceived. But this campaign was only a strategic move to elect African-American women in various sectors of the society where they were under-represented. “Black Girl Magic Texas,” was later accomplished in the Judiciary when 19 Black women who ran for a judge in Texas Harris County won.

PRIVILEGED: Texas Senator Cruz (left) had a similar issue and was neither arrested nor handcuffed. Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton (middle) conveniently ran for reelection even as he was grounded with a filthy securities fraud indictment. He narrowly won this race. Judge Smoots-Thomas (right) is in trouble today because she is neither Cruz nor Paxton.

Prosecutors claim Judge Smoots-Thomas misused nearly $25,000 (not 25 million) in campaign funds between January 2016 and March 2017. Her seven-count indictment reveals that she spent the money on a home mortgage, private school tuition, jewelry, and travel. Texas law required her to report to the Texas Ethics Commission whenever she used campaign funds for non-political expenditures.

UNDER VINDICTIVE SURVEILLANCE: The chambers of the fraternity of the “Black Girl Magic Texas,” might be under vindictive surveillance. Our novice Black Judges must therefore watch out for two major evaluation competencies: effective application of judicial practice and exemplary bench demeanor.

But let me be clear, that the aim of this article is not to categorize ethical violations within race and gender. I am simply discussing an uneven justice system; inequity of law prosecution; and unequal treatment of minorities in the criminal justice system, which is one of the most serious problems facing our society. For example, Judge Smoots-Thomas is in trouble today because she is not  Senator Ted Cruz.

Texas Senator Cruz had a similar issue and was neither arrested nor handcuffed. The racially privileged Senator was caught in a deep hole of financial fraud. He ascribed his failure to disclose two bank loans totaling more than $1 million in federal election filings as a clerical oversight. An in-depth investigation of these transactions which involved Goldman Sachs Group — where his wife, Heidi Cruz, was employed at the time—and Citigroup was suppressed. Also other details regarding this scandal were under-reported.

There is also this bizarre case of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton who conveniently ran for reelection even as he was grounded with a filthy securities fraud indictment. He narrowly won this race. This was in 2018.

The chambers of the fraternity of the “Black Girl Magic Texas,” might be under vindictive surveillance. Our novice Black Judges must therefore watch out for two major evaluation competencies: effective application of judicial practice and exemplary bench demeanor.  

The fine art of judging is a complex phenomenon provoked by thoughtful application of law and the test of constitutionality.  In fact, the essential qualities of a good judge were explained by Socrates: “Four things belong to a judge: To hear courteously; to answer wisely; to consider soberly, and to decide impartially.” These characteristics, in conjunction with relevant moral necessities, remain the hallmark of effective exercise of the extensive powers of the judiciary.

The Novice African-American Women Judges must not just live up to expectation but also watch out for amoral conduct. This is because the enemies are within the County court districts, tapping phone lines, shuttling courtrooms, listening to every conversation, snooping manila folders–all in search of actionable misconducts and process oversights. While most of these judges are focused on the vision and honor of doing justice and administering the law, they must also make changes in their community activities, political conduct, and financial practices to comply with the demands of their new designation.  

♦ Anthony Ogbo, PhD, Adjunct Professor at the Texas Southern University is the author of the Influence of Leadership (2015)  and the Maxims of Political Leadership (2019). Contact: anthony@guardiannews.us

African Americans and Clean Climate: Texas Coalition of Black Democrats must step up

We need an organization strong and powerful enough to hold elected leaders accountable for protecting our health and environment, and advancing our interests.

There has been a major divide between the Republican and Democrat lawmakers when it comes to voting on measures to tackle the climate crisis.  It is true that the fossil fuel industry now almost entirely favors Republicans in campaign contributions. However, the truth remains that at this point, the Black community should prioritize health over material electioneering support.


By Carroll G. Robinson

Studies by researchers with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reveal that Black Americans are subjected to higher levels of air pollution than their white counterparts irrespective of social status.  Most such mucky pollution comes from burning fossil fuels. The study published in the American Journal of Public Health explains disparities in distribution of particulate matter emission sources by race and poverty status. It suggests that black Americans were exposed to significantly more of the small pollution particles associated with various long and heart-related disease and untimely death.

To this end, Black Democrats must be environmentalists. Protecting our planet matters to our health, our children, our seniors, our safety and our prosperity. Climate change, environmental injustice, air pollution, water pollution, flooding and contaminated land are all on-going threats to the health, safety, quality of life, prosperity and the future of Black America. So too is transportation, infrastructure and economic inequality, the education and wealth gaps and food deserts.

The Texas Coalition of Black Democrats must remain a leader in the fight for environmental justice and to end climate change and environmental health disparities. The Texas Coalition of Black Democrats must be not just the leading defenders of our voting rights, but also our health, our children, our elders, our families, our neighborhoods and our planet.

There should be no more crushed concrete plants, landfills or illegal dumping of old tires, garbage and broken furniture in our communities. These are public health, safety, quality of life and environmental justice issues.

Without more explanation about significance of a clean and safe environment, l must conclude; it’s not enough for us to just elect Democrats to public office. We need an organization strong and powerful enough to hold them accountable for protecting our health and environment, and advancing our interests. That organization must be the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats.

Thank you and God Bless Houston. For constructive dialogue, you may contact me directly >>>

Carroll G. Robinson, Esq.

Hon. Robinson is the former Chairman, City of Houston Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee; Former Vice Chairman, Houston-Galveston Area Council Transportation Policy Council (H-GAC TPC) and Associate Professor of Public Administration, Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University.

The Policy of Dishonesty–Between the War Situation Room and a shameful Photo Op

President Trump created his own Situation Room moment. He set up his table, gathered and positioned some available officials, ushered in the photographer and pretended to be watching the raid that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

From fabricated or deceptive claims about trade and the economy to the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, the United States’ President Trump has made ‘dishonesty’ the core focus of his policy-making scheme. Apparently, the only time he doesn’t lie is when he is asleep. 


BY ANTHONY OBI OGBO

Apparently, the only time President Trump doesn’t lie is when he is asleep. 


Two days ago, the White House released what would have been a War Situation Room showing President Trump and his team supposedly directing and monitoring the killing of the ISIS leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.  But this bizarre gathering was actually a sham to replicate a historic 2011 moment when President Barack Obama watched from the Situation Room as commandos went after Osama bin Laden the leader of al-Qaeda.

The difference in the photos reveals the difference between a real war situation room and a discreditable photo-shoot situation

Obama’s ‘Bin Laden Situation Room photo was impromptu, capturing a tensed moment as  this President flanked by his national security team, received live updates from Operation Neptune Spear, which led to the killing of bin Laden. But last week, eight years later, President Trump created his own Situation Room moment. He set up his table, gathered and positioned some available officials, ushered in the photographer and pretended to be watching the raid that killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

President Trump’s photo in the real sense reveals the dishonest face of this administration. It may be recalled that early in September, President Trump displayed his fabricated version of Hurricane Dorian forecast map to show the powerful storm was on track to hit Alabama. Of course, he had to lie. He had falsely stated in a tweet earlier that Alabama was among the several states expected to face impacts from this storm.

President Trump on holds a chart showing the original projected track of Hurricane Dorian that appears to have been extended with a black line to include parts of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama.

In an administration pervaded with mediocrity and policy-making inaccuracies, the White House is experiencing an alarming decrease in trust and reputation.    Just last month, the Washington Post reported that President Trump has made 13,435 false or misleading claims over 993 days by significantly uttering exaggerated figures, making unwarranted claims and irritating the social media with horribly outright falsehoods.

So it is not a coincidence that the photos reveal the difference between a real war situation room and a discreditable photo-shoot situation. 

♦ Anthony Ogbo, PhD, Adjunct Professor at the Texas Southern University is the author of the Influence of Leadership (2015)  and the Maxims of Political Leadership (2019). Contact: anthony@guardiannews.us

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