A CHAT FROM LONDON: Of scrutiny and sinister, cheap beauty products

Scrutiny. A word constantly repeated in the London media for the past seven days. The Oxford Dictionary describes “scrutiny” as “close and critical examination...” and the verb, to scrutinise, is to “examine thoroughly” with an additional list of synonyms: “inspect, survey, study, look at, peruse, investigate, explore, probe, enquire into, go into, check.”

Scrutiny. Like a musical chorus in last week’s political news. Why and how?

A young, outstanding man that has been nicknamed the “British Barack Obama” was to run for leadership of the Labour Party. The same Labour party that lost the May 7 election under former chief Ed Miliband.  This “British Obama” had announced a keen interest to govern and reawaken Labour. He was expected to win and become the first non-white British commander of a major political party.

Immediately after, Chuka Umunna (pictured; note the unusual name) renounced the decision.

 He could not cope with the intense press “scrutiny” of his personal life. That personal life involved those closest to him. Daily Telegraph reported:  “One friend said Mr Umunna had been subject to press intrusion with newspapers attempting to contact every member of his family and that of his new girlfriend, Alice Sullivan, a lawyer.”

Umunna is a Member of Parliament for a south London constituency called Streatham. He was also shadow (opposition) Business Minister, in the previous coalition government, often described as charismatic, and very well dressed. Footage of him standing on stage with Hollywood star actor Will Smith in a London secondary school in 2013 added sugar to his potential.

 However, most important is his political standing in the Labour party. Unlike recent analysis that current Labour is anti-business, Umunna is considered different. His strength lies in policies supporting small businesses (e.g. shopkeepers), for example.  Makes him pro ex Prime Minister Tony Blair policies. Blairite is, hence, the appropriate adjective.

All this stuff is public and typical, politician CV.

Nevertheless, the problem is privacy. It vanishes as soon as you become extra famous and with such a unique ethnic background.  Here is where the word scrutiny sneaks in like a dangerous snake.

Chuka Umunna’s family is very interesting. His dad was a Nigerian immigrant who came to the UK in the 1960s and tirelessly developed into a successful business executive. He was married to an Irish lawyer woman, whose dad was prosecutor at the Nuremburg trials that netted culprits of the Nazi Holocaust, post 1945.

Chuka was born in October 1978.  Despite his trading success in the UK, daddy, an Igbo, eventually returned to Nigeria where he died in a suspicious car accident while the boy was only 14 years old in 1992. It is said Umunna senior had vowed to expose corrupt politicians in the then General Muhammadu Buhari government. This info just surfaced a few days ago. There is more scrutiny. Speculations. Questions. At 36 years, why is he not married? Why only girlfriends?

Umunna denied that his withdrawal is other than the scrutiny of his family members. Tough. Freedom of press, per excellence. Shame someone as talented as this would withdraw from public service (description of the political profession), observers echoed, because of fear of media scrutiny. That word.

Another topical item was the announcement that the increase of cheap goods and internet business is encouraging bogus, dangerous and dishonest trading.

Highly luxurious beauty products, which would normally cost a fortune, are sold cheaply.  However, they are harmful. Very.  A BBC report this Monday, said there was no specific brand or name of a company, just luxurious items, i.e. cosmetics, oils, soaps, hair things, perfumes, deodorants, etc.

The London Guardian added: “Checking the authenticity of a product is more difficult when shopping online since consumers cannot gauge the look and feel of a product before making the purchase.”

Today most citizens in rich countries are purchasing many products on the internet. This is both negative and positive. Positive because it is straightforward, quick and easily delivered at your door. Negative because you cannot touch what you are buying.

The recent revelation alleges that most of these classy articles contain rat faeces, human urine and arsenic. Arsenic is a semi metallic chemical found in groundwater. It may filter into your body through the cheaply acquired perfumes and oils and cause serious damage. Arsenic is odourless and colourless. UK police have therefore alerted against buying cheap things online. 

A warning for those in Africa too where regulations tend to be less strict. I would not be surprised finding such inexpensive and pleasant looking commodities peddled by wamachinga (street hawkers) on East African kiosks. Not surprised at all. Are you reading this? Please help spread the word. Too cheap does not always mean wonderful.