Africa as theatre of war

Even though I had warned him on this page, that there may come a day he will be vilified and castigated, and I was amazed when he kept demanding for more and more money, still I wish he could pull this off, because he had invested his all – integrity, name and what have you – on it.  I find it a little implausible though, the story that was given about why the national assembly elections had to be postponed.  I find it amazing that someone could assure President Jonathan that all will be well and for the President to have gone to his village to vote, only for all to turn out not to be well.  I think there is more than what went on (is going on), that meets the eye.

Jega is not a mere appointee.  He has the blessings of the USA, who pointedly asked that we remove Iwu or lose their ‘financing’.  These superpowers like playing God to us.  I think we should begin to solve our own problems ourselves, no matter how gradually.  This is imperative because they have only ever brought countries they ‘support’, trouble.  With their influence in supporting the coronation of Jega as INEC chairman, I find it difficult to believe that they don’t know anything about the logistics failures that embarrassed Nigeria.  The USA is far too smart and intelligent for that.  If I criticize them on this page, it is because I am in awe of their intelligence and shrewdness and the often destructive capabilities that such powers embed, especially when unleashed on clueless countries like Nigeria.

If Jega says Libya and Japan are the problem, the imprints of USA is all over his predicament.  Relief efforts in Japan is being coordinated with the USA naturally in the lead.  Libya is also being bombed by them.  I hope we won’t be talking about Cote D’Ivoire being the problem next time.  The same USA that is at the forefront of turning Africa into a theatre of war, called openly for the ouster of Iwu, and tacitly or otherwise, endorsed the ascension of Jega.  As the master strategists that they are, I hope they are not trying to make Nigeria join the expanding theatre of war that Africa is becoming ever so gradually.

That said, I am glad that Gaddafi seems to be surviving the onslaught on his country.  I don’t care if he spends 200 years as their leader there, but nothing justifies dropping bombs on a people in the name of ‘protecting’ civilians.  Nothing justifies supporting and arming rebels against ANY government.  I am sure the British government will not love anyone who supports any shade of the IRA, which still bombed a policeman to death, just last week in Northern Ireland…  I still believe, that a better world, based on some modicum of truth, and where we listen to each other and where we live and let live, is possible.

It must be put on record that the demonized duo of Gaddafi and Laurent Gbagbo, have SEVERALLY called on the United Nations, EU, USA and every other interested party, to come and investigate the real happenings in their country, but they have been consistently ignored.  Some of us too see through the lies bandied about as the truth.  Those nations that accuse others of being hard-headed are indeed the ones who are fanatics.  Those who accuse others of intolerance are the ones who are war-mongers.  Those who say they are seeking peace, are the ones who are exporting war.  This world is full of untruths, but we shall all be measured, by God, by how we strive to make the world a better place.

As I write, French soldiers have taken over Cote D’Ivoire and I could see on the TV, artillery fire all over the place.  All we are saying, from Libya to Cote D’Ivoire, is that the UN and these superpowers should allow these parties TALK to eachother.  Why fight wars when you will still come back to the conference table after millions have been killed?  At least, in those two countries, support is split in half, for and against the leaders that these superpowers are demonizing.  With huge support for and against those leaders, that is CIVIL WAR, no less!  In Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana has shown leadership by cautioning against the bombings and refusing to be a part of the impending pogrom.  Nigeria has proved to be, once again, the intellectual lilliputian.  Nigeria, under President Jonathan’s ‘leadership’, voted for the now botched, disgraceful, selfish, roguish, criminal, and harebrained bombing of Libya, even as the most productive countries of the world (Brazil, Russia, India, China and Germany), abstained.  Nigeria is always caught amongst the criminals.  These superpowers are the same ones who treat us as a 419 nation, but they manage to get our rubber-stamp when commencing their killing sprees.  It is also instructive to note that in all those countries that the USA and co have exported ‘democracy’ to, they are still wallowing in chaos till date.  Why should I trust the superpowers when they lied that Saddam had WMDs just to attack Iraq and leave it in ruins today?

Let us pray that Nigeria manages the elections well and that we are intelligent and open-minded enough not to allow any superpower push us into perdition, civil war and eventual breakup (which they had predicted will happen in 2015 anyway).  Whatever happens to Nigeria, the USA/UK/France and co, will surely be in the know.

READERS’ RESPONSE TO ‘A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE’

Abubakar K, Abuja – It seems the reality of what is democracy and capitalism has (begun) to be realized.  Your treatise is factual to the image presented as the ‘only’ alternative to ‘development’ by the West.  I, being an adherent of the study of ‘development’, have for long come to terms with the various colours it carries, represents and connotes. And for anyone to disclaim capitalism and democracy, a nomenclature of an archaic, anti-progress, will be labelled on him, or to the extreme, he may be referred to as a rebel, terrorist, militant etc, depending on the axis he is.

Adamu, Katsina – I think we shouldn’t blame the capitalist West entirely.  Rather, we should blame our leaders for imposing the colonial political setup, consolidating the imperialist economic policies and above all, blame ourselves for gobbling every thrash handed to us.

Hamisu A. A –  A new world is possible when ‘developing countries’ and other regional or continental bodies such as AU, Arab League etc, will cease to give legitimacy to the criminal acts of ‘developed countries’, aimed at plundering countries or regions of the world.