At the risk of swimming against the tide of the anti-Tinubu sentiments pervading some sections of the country, I stand to point large gaping holes in the showmanship displayed by the President of Niger Republic General Abdurramane Tchiane. A leader of a country by whatever means is also the Chief Diplomat of that nation. When such a person replaces diplomatic finesse with grandstanding and showmanship, definitely something is wrong somewhere.
Unfortunately, many Nigerians including credible groups seem to support his diatribes and use them as a basis for questioning the credibility of their own government. Anyone who questions the truth in some of the claims made is labelled a government apologist and a sellout. It is therefore very convenient for people with contrary opinions to keep quiet for fear of being labelled traitors. But at the risk of being vilified, I venture to hold a contrary opinion and seek to share it.
First of all, there are a sequence of events that prove that the whole episode is pre-planned and presented with a view to achieving an anti-Nigerian sentiment in Niger Republic with a spiral effect on the northern part of Nigeria. And the plans were orchestrated and executed in Hausa rather than French which is their official language.
Before the interview was conducted and transmitted, a crowd was rented and sent to the Assemblee National to chant insults and curses on the Nigerian president. Anyone who thinks the two events were not planned by the same person does not really think deep enough to realize the negative propaganda effect it was meant to elicit. And the man used a state-owned medium for his undiplomatic invectives on the Nigerian state and our leaders. How could any sane patriot accept a situation where his leaders are abused and cursed by the citizens of another country.
I for one feel appalled by that the video that was meant to rub in the wild and unsubstantiated accusations made by the President of Niger Republic.
Why didn’t he conduct this interview with a credible private medium? Why a state-owned medium that has no rights to demand for proof before transmitting such unsavoury allegations. And to make it look authentic he used the names of two respected leaders within the security network of the country. Ahmed Abubakar Rufai was at one time the head of our own Foreign Intelligence Network, the NIA, while Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is the current National Security Adviser. You can accuse both of anything but not being traitors against this country. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu had even put his life on the line at some point in the course of saving this country against the scourge of corruption. So sad that someone as high as a serving Head of State could choose to malign these two gentlemen just to lend credence to some wild and unsubstantiated accusations against the country and its leadership.
Now let us look into the substance of the allegations. First let me state categorically that the most dangerous person is someone who believes their lies are the truth. Take the Lakurawa issue. First it should be clear to any sensible person that the Lakurawa movement has its roots in the Republic of Mali. There is no land boundary between Nigeria and Mali. A Malian coming to Nigeria by land must pass through the whole of Niger Republic. So, the man who granted the terror group safe passage through his country now accuses another person of using them to destabilize his country? Haba, does it require any evidence to know this did not add up at all. The menace of the Lakurawa was inflicted on Nigeria using a safe passage through Niger. That is the reality. If anyone needed to accuse another of helping to create insecurity in his territory, it’s Nigeria that is the victim of Nigerien irresponsibility or negligence.
Secondly, Niger Republic is a landlocked country. Their oil resources are exported through the port of Benin Republic. One begins to wonder how a group they accommodated and gave safe passage in their country who went to another country they share a border with could be sent by another country to damage their pipelines? On what grounds and to what end? It is indeed uncharitable to accuse Nigeria of sponsoring any attack on their economic assets.
I think it’s time they looked into the mirror. The Lakurawa or any terror group inflicting harm on their country within the jurisdiction of Benin Republic should be their joint responsibility. It has nothing to do with Nigeria except if it’s simply for the blackmail effect intended. It doesn’t require deep thinking to know that it’s false.
I think Nigeria deserves a lot of respect for bearing the brunt of terrorism, insurgency and banditry by elements who always find refuge and safe passage in the neighbouring countries without even abusing diplomatic privileges of pinning such misfortune on our neighbours. It is the maturity of our leadership at different times and our security apparatus that makes it possible for us to accept our position as big brother rather go around accusing others for any misfortune afflicting our country.
Niger Republic is gravitating towards Russia and away from its colonial master, France. Replacing one foreign interest with another does not represent independence. It simply means dependence 2.0. Considering what the Russians are doing in Ukraine and what they did to Syria all these years, I don’t see a Russian influence bringing anything different to the table. And if Niger Republic is free to engage Russia that never colonized them, why are they concerned if Nigeria engages the French who equally never colonized us? Why will one scenario be acceptable while the other is not?
Somehow, I think the showmanship had motives beyond the wild allegations. It also has sponsors beyond the Nigerien Head of State. For someone who betrayed his oath of allegiance to his commander in Chief, it is indeed absurd to contemplate taking lessons on how not to betray others from him. His very essence as the Head of State is itself an act of betrayal.
On the issue of foreign military bases in Nigeria, it is indeed pedestrian to argue that there are military bases in Nigeria without mentioning the locations beyond vague references to areas where the inhabitants have clearly disowned such structures. A military base is a massive structure that houses personnel, equipment and dwellings. It is a cantonment. Those posting false pictures of obscure soldiers in unidentified spaces should do us a favour of posting the structures housing the bases even if those are military tents. Why the lies? To what effect?
The most annoying of all the discourse on the diatribes of the leader of Niger Republic is the fact that those who believe they have the right to support the man’s undiplomatic insult of our country do not accord others the right to oppose the occurrence. For them any supporter of the government is wrong. I would rather be wrong in defence of my country than cowardly support someone insulting my country and leaders just to prove my patriotism. In this case of mostly false allegations and invectives poured on my country and leaders, I stand with my country. I don’t see any truth in the man’s undiplomatic utterances or the renting of a crowd to rain curses on my leader.
Perhaps it may be necessary to venture a wild guess as to the motive behind this action by the Nigerien president. My French is very weak but my Hausa is very good. I went to social media pages in Niger Republic and followed arguments on the contents of the interview in that country. The majority of contributors raised two possible motives.
Many believe that the whole showmanship is a diversionary tactic. It is meant to parry attention away from the deep governance crisis that has been rocking the leadership. Others believe certain powers are uncomfortable with Nigeria’s diplomatic move towards France. This move by the Nigerien president is intended to yield some dividends from some master puppeteer somewhere who wants Nigeria destabilised. Soon they will sponsor solidarity matches in some states in Nigeria with foreign flags hoisted. This is not just a prediction; it is the reality of the current saga.
Ahmad Sajoh wrote from Abuja
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