Nigerians do not want their President, Bola Tinubu, to go to war in Niger. Nigeriens too, do not want him and ECOWAS, to help in dislodging their new military rulers. The President however wrote the Nigerian Senate on Friday, notifying it that the military option is still on his card, if the khaki guys, do not vacate power. The notification is a constitutional requirement and the clearest indication that the Nigerian Big Guy, is ready to break with the widespread disavowal in Nigeria and Niger, to authorize a military strike in a country, bordering his own people, who could be affected in retaliatory move, considering the popular revolt against the democratic government ECOWAS, led by Tinubu, is trying to restore in the country.
Whose interest then, is the President championing, if your people are saying no and the people you want to help, are also saying, no, thanks. It could be argued that the President and his ECOWAS allies are standing for democracy and constitutional order in the region, which would be a commendable pushback against what seems like a design to return more African countries to jackboot rule. But democratic rule itself should be mainly about the people. At least, humanity has come to accept Abraham Lincoln’s November 19 1863 Gettysburg Declaration; “Of the people, by the people, for the people” as the most profound propoundment, in situating the desirability of civil rule. The simple logic in the Lincoln averment is that the people should decide who governs them. For decades, the political class has made that difficult, in nearly all continents of the world, including America and Europe. But Africa has been in its own infamy class. Around the continent, elections are a mockery of the Lincoln sense, including in the ECOWAS ecosystem. Even Europe and US, slammed the election that brought Tinubu in as Nigerian President, issuing a stinging rebuke of the political system. How can that be “Of the people”, though perpetrated, “By the people?”
The most tricky of the triumvirate elements in the Lincoln reasoning, is the aspect of “For the people”. It means the choice of governance made, must, work for the people. If ECOWAS leaders would be fair to Nigeriens, has democratic government worked for them? For decades, their country has remained in the Top Ten of World Poorest, taking the 9th position in the 2023.
It is even easier for Nigeria to answer if democracy was working in its neighbour’s backyard, before the khaki boys struck. Nigeriens have become ubiquitous in Nigeria’s major cities and towns with enough economic activities to support them, instead of staying back home in humiliating poverty. Funny enough, despite the cultural identity that easily confuses them with Nigerians from the North, an average Nigerien in Lagos, isn’t too ashamed to reveal his real identity, as long as there is no threat to him remaining an illegal migrant in Nigeria. That shows they are not completely ashamed of their land, despite being driven away from it by the hopelessness delivered to them by democratic rule of decades. If those back home are now celebrating the return of the khaki boys and shouting “death to Nigerians”, it should count as patriotism, for enduring some much pain in the midst of what could be a potentially wealthy society.
It is not enough to be concerned about Mohammed Bazoum, the deposed president. Tinubu and the war-mongering West, should also be concerned about the casualties of democratic pains of many years; the people of Niger. I understand the proxy war between US/EU and Russia being read into the unfolding political crisis in the country. In his SOS to the world, using the Washington Post, an ally of the White House, the deposed leader whipped the Russian sentiment all through.
Of course, he surely knows the politics of leadership, having been in the power corridor for 30 unbroken years, starting out as a member of Niger’s National Assembly on April 11, 1993. Before he became president, he also served as Minister of Interior and Foreign Affairs, at different times.
By the time he assumed office on April 2, 2021, Bazoum was already a national figure in Niger, supposedly serving his people. If the same people are now celebrating seeing his back from power, then, they should be given the benefit of the doubt that they are possibly right about the junta being a better alternative.
The worry then will be the perceived power grab by the soldiers and their backers, either within ECOWAS, in far-away Moscow or even in France, which won’t be popular with constitutional democracy. But in all sincerity, is democracy in Africa, not a mere ballot box coup, this time, delivered against the people, who, should determine the beneficiaries of their votes?. Without voting anarchy, sincerely, if an average “elected” African leader is sacked from office by soldiers, it should ordinarily be seen as what Yoruba will call, “ole gbe, ole gba” (robbing a robber).
Beyond robbing the people of their collective will of “By the people”, nearly all African leaders, with the exception of a few, are continuously robbing their people of dignity of existence, turning potentially prosperous nations, to wasteland, where undeserving poverty is served the populace, while the leaders’ greed for riches, power and control, thrive. Even back home, the story is same.
Mininggreece.com rates Lithium, crucial in the production of rechargeable batteries, as world’s most expensive mineral resource. Its major home, is Afghanistan, which America invaded on October 7, 2001, on the excuse of wanting Osama Bin Laden. The occupation lasted 20 years, with US installing its puppets.
Uranium, popular known as yellowcake, is another very expensive mineral resource, used “to power commercial nuclear reactors that produce electricity and to produce isotopes used for medical, industrial, and defense purposes around the world” according to www.energy.gov. In 2008, Niger, was the world fourth largest producer-country, churning out as much as 3,300 metric tons, yearly and accounting for 8.7% of global production. Today, the stuff sells for 56.23 US dollars per kg, according to information from global trading in precious mineral. France, began mining in the country on July 26, 1967. Though it has fallen down the perking order now, Niger is still the 7th largest producer in the world, according to World Nuclear Association Yet, more than 10 million of its citizens are in abject poverty. Pray, why won’t Nigeriens join what appears a deliverance crusade.
For 56 years, France has been making money in Niger and off its people, obviously in connivance with the political leaders. Now, there is trouble, France is evacuating. Nigeria that has no record of benefitting from anything is planning to go and waste precious lives of its soldiers in a conflict where it isn’t invited as a mediator. President Tinubu must not cast himself as a puppet of the West this early in his presidency. Perhaps he is genuinely concerned about “government of the people”. Then, he should listen to the roar coming from Niamey and not the Wild West.
On February 18, 2010, Mainadou Tandja led a coup in the same Niger and the people lived through it. Tinubu should stay clear of armored vehicles.
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