[Community-Discuss] The Looting of AFRINIC

[Sunday Folayan]

Dear Mr Guilmette,

On 06/12/2019 11:07, Ronald F. Guilmette wrote:

> Mr. Folayan,

>

> Let me begin by saying that I greatly apperciate your thoughtful response.

>

> At the moment, I have only a few brief comments to add, above and beyond

> what I have already said and what Jan Vermeulen has already written.

>

>

> In message <4ad77d37-f1d5-04a2-86bd-79802faeb235 at gmail.com>,

> Sunday Folayan <sfolayan at gmail.com> wrote:

>

>> I am sure you want to see the issues addressed, and not that we should

>> conduct a requiem mass for AFRINIC right away. The former is much more

>> honourable and deserves the support of every right-thinking stakeholder.

>> It is the later that I seek to ensure is not your intention.

> Please allow me to give you my most sincere assurances about that.

>

> Neither I nor Jan Vermeulen have either any intention or any wish to see

> the demise or disappearance of AFRINIC.  That is quite certainly not a

> goal for either of us, and as far as I am concerned, at least, is, as

> you have said, not even something that any right-thinking stakeholder

> should wish for.  AFRINIC is and has been an integral part of global

> Internet governance.  I cannot even envision things as being otherwise.

> No rational man would tear down an entire house at the first sign of a

> few cracks in the foundation, nor even at the second.  And to use an

> even move vivid analogy, I cannot, at present, envision the ongoing

> smooth functioning on the global Internet without AFRINIC any more than

> I can envision a horse deprived of one leg galloping across the plains.

>

> If I had been present and involved back in 2004, when AFRINIC was being

> formed, I have no doubt that I would almost certainly have suggested

> that some things might be done differently, but that ship has already

> sailed, a long long time ago, and by my own choice I wasn't on it, being

> preoccupied, as I was, elsewhere.  Now I may stand on the comfortable

> shore and express some disagreement about the direction of travel, but

> I do not question the utility of the journey.

>

> The problems that I and Jan have brought to light are, I think, matters

> of implementation and not of fundamental design or purpose.  Time will

> tell if that is an accurate assesment.



This is most assuring and comforting at the same time.

If I have sounded off-key, please accept my sincere apologies, and thank 
you very much for the good job you have done for the community so far. 
History will never forget your role and progressive disposition at this 
point in time.

When AfriNIC was being formed, the challenges of today, were not 
envisioned in the very many ways that they now present themselves. 
Africa has come a long way. Unfortunately, there are still many more 
oceans to cross, but we will all band together as a purposeful fleet. 
That is how we can all weather the storms that may come, but sure they 
will come.

With kind Regards ...

Sunday.