Nigeria, May 7 -- Honestly, I had resolved not to speak or write about Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo. I had, in fact, given up on him entirely. In my own estimation, I had placed him in a category even lower than what I have come to describe as the "Joe tribe."

For clarity, we have never accused members of the Joe tribe of being useless. Rather, our concern is that they follow one man so unquestioningly that they have surrendered independent judgment. This tendency often blinds them to fairness, even in their dealings with their own people, where one would ordinarily expect understanding and restraint.

Indeed, the Joe tribe ranks higher than Kenneth Okonkwo in one important respect: they are predictable. One can reasonably anticipate their posit...