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The Oracle: Different People, Different Forms of Government (Pt. 12)

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By Chief Mike Ozekhome

INTRODUCTION

Last week, we dealt extensively on Aristocracy as a form of government. We saw aristocracy as government by the nobility, a privileged minority, or an elite class thought best qualified to rule for the good of the people. However, where it is headed by oppressive and selfish elite, it deteriorates to oligarchy. Today, we shall conclude same. Thereafter, we shall further x-ray another form of government, Theocracy.

 

SEARCHING FOR “THE BEST” (Continues)

A principle known as “noblesse oblige” was designed to ensure the success and continuity of aristocracies. This literally meaning “nobility obligates”. It meant “the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth.” Because of their assumed “superiority,” those of noble birth were firmly obligated to serve the needs of other lesser mortals responsibly. This principle was found in such aristocracies as the one in ancient Sparta, whose warriors were obliged to put the interests of others before their own, even in battle fields; and in Japan among the warrior caste, the “samurai”.

 

WHEN ARISTOCRACIES WERE FOUND WANTING AND DEFICIENT

The imperfection of aristocratic rule soon manifested. In early Rome, only persons of high birth, known as “patricians”, were eligible for membership in the Roman Senate. The common people, known as “plebeians”, were not. But far from being men of “ability and moral excellence,” as Confucius had demanded of rulers, members of the Senate became increasingly corrupt and oppressive. Civil strife was the resultant effect. The plebians kicked. The nobility or patricianity was derobed and demystified.

For the next 1,200 years or thereabout, aristocratic governments, even though monarchical in name, were the European norm. As time went on, many political, economic, and cultural changes gradually modified the system. But, during this entire period, European aristocracies remained powerful. They were able to retain their landholdings and their stranglehold on military offices, while becoming ever more parasitic, narcissistic, extravagant, arrogant, and frivolous.

In the 1780’s, the aristocracy suffered a severe blow. Louis XVI of France, finding himself in financial straits, pleaded with members of the French aristocracy to forgo some of their fiscal privileges. But instead of supporting him, they took advantage of his difficulties, hoping to undermine the monarchy and regain some of their own lost power. “Dissatisfied with government of the people, by the king, for the aristocracy, they [the aristocracy] sought government of the people, by the aristocracy, for the aristocracy,” explains Herman Ausubel, professor of history at Columbia University. This attitude helped precipitate the French Revolution of 1789. It was Louis the XVI who once stood in front of parliament and declared, “L’etat ce’st moi” (I am the state).

These events in France brought about momentous changes that were felt far beyond the boundaries. The aristocracy lost its special privileges. The feudal system was totally abolished. A Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was adopted, as was also a Constitution. In addition, the powers of the powerful clergy were restricted by Decree.

Government by the few​, even if the few were thought to be the very best ​had been carefully analysed and weighed in the balances by the many and had been found wanting and unsatisfactory.

 

DID THEY FINALLY FIND “THE BEST”?

The obvious fact that ‘the best’ did not always live up to their name (“best”) points out one of the major weaknesses of ‘government by the best,’ namely, the difficulty in determining who ‘the best’ really were. To meet the requirements for being best qualified to govern, more appeared necessary than just being rich; just being of noble blood; or just being capable of military prowess and exploits.

It is not difficult to ascertain who the best doctors, cooks, or shoemakers are. We simply view their work or their products. “With government, however, the situation is not so easy,” notes Professor Friedrich. The difficulty is that people disagree as to what a government should be and what it should do. Also, the goals of government are continually changing. Thus, as Friedrich says: “It remains quite uncertain as to who the elite is.”

For a ‘government by the best’ to be really the best, the elite would have to be chosen by someone with superhuman knowledge and infallibility in judging. The chosen would have to be individuals of unbreakable moral integrity, completely devoted to the immutable goals of their government. Their willingness to put the welfare of others before their own would have to be beyond doubt. Like Caesar’s wife, they must be above board.

 

THEOCRACY

Theocracy is a form of government where one or more priests rule in the name of a deity. God or a god is recognized as the supreme Ruler and religious laws. The power of the religious leaders derives from God. They claim to be blessed by God who direct them. It is, shredded of all semantics, another form of dictatorship. “Theo” is the Greek word for “god”, and “cracy” simply means “government”. Modern examples of the theocratic states are Iran and Saudi-Arabia, where the Islamic Nations are governed by Sharia laws. The Holy See is governed by the Catholic Church and is represented by the Pope and other Cardinals and Bishops. These Clergy often hold their positions for life. Leaders are never elected or appointed by popular votes. People considered infidels are either banished or persecuted. The laws and legal system are faith-based, and these dictate social norms, such as marriages, laws punishment, birth and death.

In Ancient Egypt (3000 B.C. – 300 B.C.), Pharaoh was regarded, not just as God’s representative on earth, but as God himself. His closest Advisor was often a High Priest in the ancient Egyptian Polytheistic religion. Whatever the Pharaoh said was a dictate from God.

The Islamic Republic of Iran (1979 A.D) was a Theocracy, dominated by the laws of God and the Clerics of the Shi’a Islamic sect. The Ayatollah was regarded as God’s representative on earth. Other examples of theocratic governments today are Afghanistan, Mauritania, Sudan, Yemen, etc.

Theocracy may be a new word for many readers, but it is at least nineteen hundred years old. Yes, it was used in the first century of our Common Era, and at that time, it seemed to be a strange word.

The word “theocracy” was coined by a historian, by name, Flavius Josephus of Jerusalem. In answer to accusations leveled against his people, Josephus wrote his work, in two volumes, entitled, “Against Apion”. In volume 2, paragraph 45, he referred to “Moses, our excellent legislator,”. In paragraph 52, he introduced the new word. In the course of these words written in Greek, he wrote: “Several nations have their several forms of government, and their diversities of laws. Some governments are committed to a single person; others to the people. Our legislator had no regard to any of these forms, but ordained a government, that, by a strained expression, may be termed a Theocracy [the·o·kra·tiʹa, Greek], or Holy Commonwealth, in ascribing all authority and power to God, and persuading the people to regard him as the author of all the good things that were enjoyed either in common by all mankind, or by each individual in particular. To him he directs us to fly for succour in our distresses, as he hears our prayers, and searches into the very secrets of our hearts. He inculcates the doctrines of one God, the uncreated, immutable, and eternal being, infinitely glorious, and incomprehensible one, further than what we know of him by his works.”

So, the word Theocracy thus was coined to mean a “rule of God,” a government by the Most High God as Ruler. This was in direct contrast with a government “committed to a single person” (an autocracy); and a government committed “to the people” (a democracy); and a government committed “to the rich people” (a plutocracy); and a government committed “to many bureaus” (a bureaucracy). This great historian, Josephus, (thus applied the term Theocracy to the government that was established by the legislator, Moses, at the command of God, who told Moses that His name was Jehovah (or Yahweh).

The historian, Josephus, witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman legions in the year 70 of our Common Era. He applied the term Theocracy to the national Jewish organization that had existed prior to that terrible calamity. At the present time, since the six-day war of 1967, the Jews hold possession of all of what is called Jerusalem today, and they have their national capital established there. But can we regard the government that they have established in their ancient homeland as a successor to the Theocracy that Moses was used to establish in the year 1513, before our Common Era? Is the national government now functioning with old Jerusalem as its capital a theocracy at all? How could it be such when it is called a “Republic” and has a democratically elected president, and has since the year 1949, been a member of the Gentile organization for world peace and security, namely, the United Nations? Not even the president of the Republic of Israel and the members of the national Parliament, the Knesset, will claim that their government is a theocracy, a theocratic organization. In the ranks of the Israeli politicians, there is great disagreement over the issue of whether or not to adhere strictly to the Law of Moses.

In the first century of our Common Era, the Jewish nation ceased to be a theocratic organization. This occurred even before Jerusalem’s destruction in the year 70. Historically recorded events point to this solemn indisputable fact. On the Passover day of the year 33, when the surging crowd was massed before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, and cried out for the criminal Banabas to be released to them instead of the man (Jesus Christ) whom Pilate personally wanted to release as innocent, what did that crowd there in Jerusalem cry out for? This: “If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar. Every man making himself a king speaks against Caesar. . . . We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:12-15) This outcry stood out in shocking contrast to what their ancient prophet, Isaiah, had long previously said: “The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Statute-giver, the Lord is our King.”Isa. 33:22. (To be continued next week).

 

FUN TIMES

There are two sides to every coin. Life itself contains not only the good, but also the bad and the ugly. Let us now explore these.

“Please order for your hot water, good for tea, making eba, we deliver nationwide… make e no be say person no dey hustle oooooooooo. Order for your favourite hot water biko”.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

“Unity in faith is theocracy; unity in politics is fascism.” (Maajid Nawaz).

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Opinion

The APC is jittery by Karounwi Adinni

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Very jittery about the coalition, and it should rightly feel so.

If coordinated properly, they have the capacity and numbers to upstage APC, from national politics.

If they manage to do it, it will be well-deserved.

The neo-liberal economic policies embarked on by BAT has shrunk the economy brutally.

The country has shrunk far more economically after removing fuel subsidy, particularly when electricity is still non-existent, raising production costs infinitely and lowering spending, making it a double-whammy for millions.

Electricity costs have been double even when its generation, distribution and transmission hasn’t improved significantly blunting claims of Nigerians needing to pay humongous amounts if they want electricity, even if several examples exist of Countries in the Global South with far more reasonable electricity charges with even more access to electricity.

Let’s now add devaluation, that skyrocketed costs of goods in an import-dependent economy and ran more millions into penury.

War-level inflation, rising costs of living, food prices off the ceiling.

And what they have been told is that, that is the only way to rejig the economy.

The supposed billions stolen by subsidy thieves hasn’t been retrieved, and perpetrators jailed.

Customs officials that permit fuel smuggling that justified subsidy removal weren’t arrested and jailed.

Yet, the people who weren’t responsible for these lapses were told to stomach these lapses and adjust to “SAP” tightening adjustments.

Minimum wage of 70k has still not been paid, what was done was a cynical 40k wage award across levels. This after fuel went from 185 to over 900 naira in some places, and skyrocketing prices of goods quarter-by-quarter.

In 2000, When Olusegun Obasanjo raised minimum wage from 250naira to 5500 naira, and Federal civil servants pay raised from 3500 to 7500, it triggered the phrase “GBEMU AREMU” (Aremu’s Largesse) that raised national income and subsequent spending across several sectors.

Teachers would buy Opel cars prompting applause when it was announced on assembly grounds, and several civil servants started building houses leading to a construction boom.

Federal contractors are being owed despite government claims of record revenues, and gaslighting statements of more allocations being accrued to Governors.

Let us now go back to pet peeves about allocation of projects.

Gilbert Chagoury’s HITECH got awarded the “Lagos-Calabar coastal road”

The same Chagoury’s HITECH got the Sokoto-Badagry road.

The same HITECH was awarded Benin-Akure-Ilesha road.

Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road was taken from Julius Berger and handed to HITECH.

Chagoury’s ITB also got $700m port revamp contract.

BAT says Alex Zingman who got the $250m contract to bring in tractors from Belarus is his friend.

When major contracts are given to closet accolytes in a family&friends scheme, how will the economy grow, when fairness is out of the window.
Multi-billion dollar contracts are being handed out attimes with no bidding to preferred contractors whom the President openly calls “His Partner” (Chagoury).

This is the samee Chagoury who returned $66million to Switzerland to get his conviction expunged.

He paid $300million to Nigeria’s government to protect him from prosecution for his role in helping General Sani Abacha loot the country by transferring National funds abroad.

Abacha’s special friend tha helped launder money abroad is BAT’s advisor and confidante whose companies get no-bidding contracts and people are to keep quiet.

Yet, APC stalwarts will attempt to gaslight people by saying “Relax, economy is getting better, BAT knows what he is doing”, even when diaspora Nigerians who come into the country exchange their Pounds and USD into Naira, and still cannot cope with the skyrocketing prices.

People are being told to sacrifice, while they see the Presidency buy yatch, new vehicles and Presidential Jet.

If it’s the ADC that will come and trigger the APC, we are all in for it.

Even if several of the characters in ADC have been in government for years. Distributed stealing is much better for the economy than singular appropriation.

Perhaps, when Nigerians change governments over and over, politicians will sit tight and apportion some efforts towards working for masses and treat people with some level of respect.

And the coalition should watch out for Aregbesola, the main reason that has given the coalition impetus. He is not a man who gives half-measures. And he is coming for revenge.

There is no fight as interesting to watch as tight buddies turn into implacable foes.

Knowing him, Aregbesola would likely have control of Lagos ADC, where he would bring in many elements of APC currently disaffected and angry into the party.

Being more conservative than even Tinubu, he would avoid trap of filling positions with non-Yorubas.

What would ensue in Lagos, with an Aregbesola-controlled ADC will be a fight for the ages, people who knew “Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu” before he became “Asiwaju” or “Jagaban” would be brought into the fray.

Imagine for example, Muiz Banire, as Governorship candidate. Prominent families, in Lagos will be split down the middle, as Aregbesola comes for the jugular.

And woe betide APC, if the North refuses to vote for them and APC loses the Presidential election.

It makes the task of dismantling even Lagos from Tinubu’s hold after 28 years easier.

Tinubu’s current yes-men gaslighting people about economy should continue telling people all is well, even when economy squeezes people out.

In 2 years, they might lose everything. Both Federal and beloved Lagos.

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Opinion

Imperative of the Battle Against Impunity

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By Ayo Oyoze Baje

“When a leader encourages the culture of impunity, the society is lost and it makes the work harder for the rest of us”
– Prof. Wole Soyinka

One of the bitter facts about striking the delicate balance between criminality and justice is that if the perpetrators of sundry crimes are either treated with kid gloves, or left to walk our streets as free men, some others would view such as the best way to go. Unfortunately, from the persisting challenge of insecurity through the reckless squandering of public funds by some favoured political helmsmen to budget padding, crass impunity has remained the middle name of our democratic dispensation, sad to note.

For instance, recently Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), criticized both the Federal and Benue State Governments for consistently failing to prosecute suspects arrested in connection with violent attacks that have resulted in the killing spree in Benue State. In the statement issued under the platform of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), of which he is the Chairman Falana lamented that although hundreds of suspects have been arrested over the years for crimes ranging from illegal possession of firearms to mass killings and kidnapping, most of them are never charged.

To him President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to the Nigeria Police Force to arrest and prosecute all those involved in the latest wave of violence in the state is potentially symbolic.He pointed out that previous arrests had not led to convictions or justice for victims. Falana also berated the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for alleging that residents of Yelwata community provided shelter for the killers. He described the statement as an attempt to shift blame onto victims instead of addressing the systemic failures of security and governance.

Such a sordid situation triggers the burning questions. Is the life of the voiceless victims not important to humanity in general and the country in particular? Are the perpetrators of the scary insecurity ravaging the country that has sent hundreds of thousands of innocent souls to their early graves more valued than that of the defenceless citizens? What is so difficult in identifying the sponsors, who arm them to kill fellow citizens and bring them to justice?

It is a similar situation when it comes to profligacy with regards to the way and manner some politicians squander public funds. Only recently there was disagreement between the National Assembly and the BudgIT over the issue of budget padding to the stupendous amount of N6.93 trillion in the 2025 federal government’s budget. Yet, some Nigerian contractors have remained unpaid for about a year! And there are allegations about some of them awarded contracts without going through the fiscal policy relating to the budget. That runs against Section 5 (b) of the Public Procurement Act. That is impunity, is it not? Yes, it is. But the pain in all of these is that the culture of impunity in places high and low has been with us for eons.

As yours truly highlighted through an opinion essay back in April 2017 all the hue and cry that trailed the probe into the $10billion(or is it $16 billion) sleaze in the power sector years back has long suffered from what physicists call the Doppler Effect, or died a Nigerian “natural death”. And as one warned back then that “was not the first time and it may not likely be the last unless government musters the much needed political will to bring the perpetrators to book.” But is the situation any better today? The answer is patently obvious.

These days we read about the humungous amounts, even in dollars found stashed in the private vaults of some former public office holders. From local government council chairmen to senators and governors, it is a recurring ugly decimal of national shame. But some hungry and disenfranchised poor citizens caught for stealing fowls and goats are either sent behind bars or hounded to hell!

It speaks volume about how those in government interpret words such as accountability, probity and transparency. It demeans us all as a people that those vested with the sacred trust of holding the destiny of men and materials of a country as vast as Nigeria are allowed to go Scot-free after committing various heinous crimes against the state. No one talks about the $12 billion Gulf War windfall again because some people are above the law. Not a few former state governors were once paraded by the EFCC as suspected to have siphoned state funds for self-aggrandizement.But years later some of them have the audacity to want to go back to their former offices, or find their ways to the hallowed Red chamber to make laws for you and yours truly. All these happen because of the insidious culture of impunity

As it was between 2015-2023, one is not surprised, therefore, that some corrupt politicians who defected from the PDP to the ruling APC are surreptitiously enjoying some ignoble immunity. It has happened before. All of these make a mockery of our judiciary process. Many of the proceedings are centuries away from the Information Technology and Communication(ICT) age as obsolete type – writers are still used for recording purpose. Series of laughable injunctions take over the well scripted drama of the absurd, characterized by the shameless display of former politicians suspected of grievous financial crimes, raising their hands in bravado as their paid praise worshippers fan their battered and bruised ego.

It is little of a surprise therefore, that virtually all notable institutions of government; from ministries to departments and agencies have in the past years of our democratic experience been probed for one fraud or the other. But after years of turning their searchlight to unveil the rattling skeletons in their cupboards, nothing meaningful comes out of it.
To several of those accused of such financial misdemeanor Nigeria is one big, slumbering elephant to be milked dry. And the easiest way to have a piece of the national cake is to get elected or appointed into any plum political post. But for how long can we go on this way? Not much longer, I dare say.

Corruption, which is a debasement of set moral values and a violation of standard professional ethics is like a two – edged sword that cuts both the victim and the misguided beneficiary. When those who have short changed the system are not brought to speedy justice it emboldens others with similar criminal inclinations to commit worse crimes.

It is responsible, as in the Nigerian politico-economic situation for the countless pot hole – riddled roads, the epileptic power supply, pervasive preventable diseases and mass youth employment that have turned into daylight monsters haunting us all.

As one admonished the then President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in 2017 so I do now to the President Bola Tinubu-led government. To shame all critics he must muster the political will, backed with the enabling laws by the National Assembly to transform both the EFCC and the ICPC into well toothed bulldogs that bark and bite. And no one, no matter his political persuasion, must be above the rule of law. As Isabel Allende aptly stated: ” Nothing is as dangerous as power with impunity”.

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Opinion

Skills Acquisition: Way Forward for Nigeria’s Educational Development

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By Ayo Oyoze Baje

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways” – Robert Greene

As concerned Nigerians keep deliberating on the best way to navigate the twists and turns inherent in our education delivery system, if yours truly has his way secondary school students should be spending three days of each week for theoretical knowledge and two for practical skills development. These include skills such as tailoring/fashion design, hair dressing and carpentry. Others include building construction, painting, domestic farming, singing, acting, oratory and comedy.

This has become more expedient because in 2023, Nigeria ranked 100th out of 100 countries in Coursera’s Global Skills Report in terms of skill proficiency. Incidentally, the country also ranked low within the Sub-Saharan Africa, placed 12th out of 13 countries.In fact, other African nations such as Botswana and Cameroon outperformed Nigeria in the same report. This was an indication of a significant skills gap in the country. But recent indicators suggest an increase performance that should be built on. For instance, Nigeria showed the fourth-highest year-on-year growth rate for Professional Certificates enrollments on Coursera. This clearly suggests a growing awareness and participation in skills development initiatives which should be built on.

For instance, the unemployment rate in Nigeria stands at about 4.84% in 2025, according to Statista. com. This translates to an estimated 5.74 million people who are unemployed. Similarly, the youth unemployment rate is around 7.50% according to Trading Economics.

Given the current global influence of information technology, the expanding impact of Artificial intelligence ( AI ) and the soaring influence of climate change. Others include the increasing need to ride the freaky waves of economic survival, and the stifling space for employment, not only in Nigeria but across the globe. Yet, the country is abundantly blessed with rare talents in different fields of human endeavour.

Mention names such as Silas Adekunle, known for his robotics expertise and the world’s first intelligent gaming robot or Riya Karumanchi, who invented a device to assist visually impaired individuals the importance of skills acquisition in the development of the talents of our youth gradually dawns on us.

It is a similar scenario when the name of
Hassan and Hussaini Muhammad, who created a way to convert petrol, water, salt, and alum into hydrogen cooking gas crop up. And out there there are other young Nigerian inventors such as Khalifa Aminu (FM transmitter), Muazzam Sani (remote-controlled car), and the team behind the smart walkway light and automatic irrigation. The importance of skills acquisition cannot therefore, be over emphasized.
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Put in its simple terms, skills acquisition is crucial for Nigerian students academic development, because it enhances their employability, as well as boosts entrepreneurship. In fact, it contributes to overall national development. According to experts on educational development it empowers students to be self-reliant, reduces poverty and unemployment, and also provides them with a global perspective.

The impact and import of students’s skills acquisition is amply deployed in Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun state. There, students are exposed to the practical aspect of whatever course they are studying such that seasoned professionals are invited to deliver the practical aspect of their theoretical knowledge.Such is the impact that engineering students have become problem solvers. They have constructed pavements, fences, designed and built solid infrastructure.

Furthermore, the Centre for Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies (CATES) has come up as a key initiative at the same university. As a noble cause it was established to foster practical, solution-oriented approaches to agricultural and entrepreneurial development within the university and the wider community. The skills promoting aspect of it is that CATES focuses on areas such as poultry technology, aquaculture, cassava farming, and mushroom culture. It also operates a vegetable farm and a plantain farm on campus. All these explain why graduates of the citadel of knowledge become self employed, with several of them kick starting the process right from the University as undergraduates. All these boost their financial independence while they contribute to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP.

Skills acquisition therefore,
increases employability, more so in today’s competitive job market. Having relevant skills makes students more attractive to employers. These include skills such as digital literacy, communication, and problem-solving, which are highly valued across various industries.Entrepreneurship programs teach them how to start and manage their own businesses. This eventually, leads to economic growth and improved living standards with appreciable Human Development Index, HDI. By equipping students with practical skills, skill acquisition programs can assist to lift individuals and families out of the terrifying trap of poverty and ultimately reduce the unemployment rate for the country.

From the global perspective, many skills are transferable across borders. This is one good lesson learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigerian students can latch on it to participate in the global economy through remote work or international collaborations. It also fosters confidence in students, assist them to adapt to the global socio-economic dynamics,while instilling a sense of accomplishment in them, thereby contributing to overall personal growth.

Of great significance, is that
a skilled workforce is essential for the nation’s economic growth and technological advancement. Overall, the skill acquisition programs contribute to building a more productive and innovative society. So Nigeria work on the report which highlighted specific skill areas where it lags, especially technology and data science.

Nigeria should also learn from countries that stand out for their high levels of skill acquisition and development. These include Northern European nations such as Finland, Norway, and Sweden which consistently rank high, along with Switzerland, Singapore, and Germany. These countries often prioritize education, training, and creating opportunities for their populations to acquire and utilize a wide range of skills. As rightly noted by Malcolm X: ” Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”.

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