Nigeria’s Inestimable Mess On Zimbabwe - Nigeria News - 27/01/2018

Not even the eventual purported resignation of ousted Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (as if he had any other solution except suicide) would make up for Nigeria’s wide-ranging political and diplomatic mess witnessed for a week in cleansing Zimbabwe’s Augean steady. The political mess in the country was waiting all along to be cleared for decades of lethargy, conspiracy of silence, betrayal of the individuals, in particular by fellow African leaders who seemed to have abandoned them, as Zimbabweans have been imprisoned, conquered and enslaved, being only brief of wailing for help to be rescued from continental concentration camp.

In the beginning of early post-independence years in Africa, there was hope, indeed belief the newly emerging indigenous administrations all over the continent, portended civilised conduct as in other parts of the world. What no one bargained for was the barbarian style of emerging leaders lording it over their individuals as perpetual authoritarians, subjecting citizens to all forms of mis-governance without having hope of relief via the ballot box.

And if ever any hope of transform via ballot box existed, such was provocatively manipulated without having any justification, specifically when compared to extended colonial rule, which provided standard amenities, like education, wellness, superior roads, community harmony and security as nicely as virtually full employment. Authoritarianism and perpetual rule to compel what Fela Anikulapo-Kuti would get in touch with "zombieism" thrived all over the continent. Reasonably comfortable life provided for Nigerians under colonial rule progressively disappeared. The distinction was clear to Africans in the respective countries privileged to have tasted the two eras.

Therefore, following aggravation in a variety of African nations expressed in sharp criticisms, armed forces overthrow one particular administration immediately after an additional on the continent. Due to the fact it is impossible to change army regimes via ballot box, Africans in different nations on the continent, right after far more than 20 years, yearned for democratic rule and army had to progressively return to barracks, in particular following criticisms at home and abroad from vested interests correctly blocked from sharp business practices.

The previous 25 years of cooling off of the military from African politics need to, therefore, have engendered civilised political conduct among the continent’s elected leaders. Rather, the so-known as elected leaders once more degenerated to the old days of barbarism in the belief that lawlessness is an inevitable aspect of political leadership. If only these guys could peep beyond the African continent. Even then, term limit for elected public workplace holders could nevertheless provide some manage over their recklessness.

African leaders? Sudan, Togo, Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroun, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Libya, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Gambia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are couple of examples of the political recidivists. Elections in these nations or term limits are abolished or extended or, in worst cases, election results are overturned with a defeated leader emerging the winner to perpetuate himself in workplace. Nigeria was only lucky to escape that practical experience when the third term plot of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to perpetuate himself in workplace via a third term was frustrated by the National Assembly below the patriotic leadership of Ken Nnamani as Senate President.

In Zimbabwe, the predicament was specifically hopeless for the individuals who have been dehumanised for 37 years by one man, President Robert Mugabe. Lately, he became most guilty by wrongly assuming the energy to sack a vice-president (Emmerson Mnangagwa) in violation of the Zimbabwean constitution, just as Obasanjo similarly claimed to have removed Atiku Abubakar as Nigerian vice-president. That blunder by Mugabe was the last straw and regardless of the abeyance of military rule in Africa, Zimbabwe’s defence forces, rather naively, had to situation him a 24-hour public notice removing him from office virtually with an apology, explaining to him that he (Mugabe) was not their target whom they identified as the criminals about him. Mugabe had grow to be such feared by even defence forces so frightened and unsure of the prospects of any move against him.

The Zimbabwean defence forces had been visibly afraid of hostile reaction of African nations. Hence, the public notice to Mugabe of the move against him, which, in a very cowardly plea, they explained was not a coup. That tactic was suicidal, as they could have been rounded up for immediate execution to maintain Mugabe in energy. But old age had subdued Mugabe, who rambled via a text in reaction to events around him without having a word about the putsch. The whole planet at that stage currently resigned itself to the finish of Mugabe as Zimbabwe’s president immediately after virtually 40 years. For some unknown reasons, Nigeria at that stage, amongst the whole 54 countries, intervened with a silly plea for adherence to Zimbabwe’s constitution. That clearly, even if inadvertently, was capable of blocking Mugabe’s removal from workplace. Or which constitution was Nigeria pleading to be complied with? The pretty Zimbabwean constitution Mugabe already trashed all over to retain himself in workplace?

What section of Zimbabwean constitution legally empowered Mugabe to sack a sitting vice-president? In 2008, leader of Zimbabwean opposition Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidential election, but Mugabe, immediately after days’ suspense, overturned the outcome and declared himself the winner even after he was no longer eligible to contest following series of extension of his tenure, in violation of the constitution. Nigeria and other African nations nevertheless ratified that illegality. Over the years, Nigeria and other African nations had been complicit in Mugabe’s manipulation of electoral processes and violation of his country’s constitution. Otherwise, why was Nigeria silent on the 2008 presidential election rigged by Mugabe forcefully?

President Yahaya Jammeh of the Gambia similarly attempted to reverse a presidential election in his country. Why, on that occasion, did Nigeria mount on ECOWAS force for imminent invasion to enforce the result of an election lost by Jammeh? Right here was a nation (Nigeria that is), which about 4 years ago enforced an election outcome won by opposition leader (and now president) Alhassan Quatara in Core d’Ivoire. Why the distinction in Zimbabwe? In Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria pre-empted defeated President Laurent Gbagbo from overturning his defeat to victory. How would Nigeria now place its poor judgment on the fall of Mugabe against the reaction of Zimbabweans in this controversy? The individuals following 37 years had been all out to rid the nation of all the things Robert Mugabe and Nigerian was pleading the constitution. Would Nigeria, as a country and individuals, ever condone an elected leader in office for 37 years or even ordinarily beyond the two terms stipulated in the constitution? And if the individuals or the armed forces revolted in Nigeria in such circumstances, who would be pleading the constitution?

If Nigeria could not help Zimbabweans in their work to take away Mugabe, the nation (Nigeria) should really have entirely kept off so that Zimbabweans could decide their fate. Just after 37 years of forced and uninterrupted rule and without having prospect of peaceful or voluntary exit, Mugabe deserved to be removed by any indicates feasible. If any Nigerian leader in the previous or future attempted a Mugabe alternative of 37 years uninterrupted rule, our history is that we would similarly have employed the removal of such a leader by any suggests doable. And if Nigerians could subdue their leaders under no circumstances to attempt the Mugabe gamble, we should, whenever the need to have arises, permit fellow Africans to similarly contain their leaders on the continent.

Only lately, Nigeria dignified Togolese President Faure Eyadema by joining in election him chairman of ECOWAS, and then hosting him at Aso Rock. Does Nigerian government not know that for the previous four months and till now, protesting Togolese are getting shot dead for daring to resist Eyadema’s unwillingness to comply with the country’s constitution, which has ended his tenure? Must the man face a military revolt currently, Nigeria will be calling on Togolese nationalists to respect the constitution? And via Nigeria’s fault in receiving him elected, Eyadema will increase, henceforth, his attempted perpetuation of his rule by flaunting his new status as chairman of ECOWAS. What a strange diplomacy by Nigeria.

Anyway, why is Nigeria maintaining quiet on the bloodshed going on in Togo? Eyadema has ruled for 12 years and is hell-bent on not complying with the constitution to quit. Ironically, Eyadema has the guts to ally with Nigeria on regional safety in a diplomatic con to remain in workplace.

As in Zimbabwe and Togo, so it is in Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. Respectively, Paul Kigame, Pierre Nkurunziza, Yoweri Muzeveni, Joseph Kabila and Edga Lungu have all completed their terms as in their respective constitution. Museveni is over 30 years in workplace. Zambia’s Edga Lumfu publicly warned a judge not to nullify amendment to the constitution enabling him to contest election beyond the term limit in the constitution. Joseph Kabila has been butchering his countrymen and girls, a lot to the alarm of United Nations Secretary-Common, for protesting and demanding his exit from power in Democratic Republic of Congo as an alternative of perpetuating himself in office. Similarly, Burundi’s President Nkurunziza has refused to quit right after finishing his tenure limit. Burundians who protested had been sent to their graves untimely.

There is a peculiar case in Cameroon, where southerners in the country are being killed each day for insisting on their self-determination for their future. The pit right here is that southern Cameroonians had been former Nigerians of Eastern Area origin misled by their leaders to vote in a 1958 referendum to join French Cameroons. if Nigeria could permit the southern Cameroonians to vote for joining French Cameroons, why should really Cameroon government be shooting them for demanding self-determination?

The Mugabe political cancer has spread to these African nations with the on-going bloodshed from brutal repression of protesters demanding compliance with term limit for public workplace holders. Down the line, continued bloodshed will bring about people’s revolt or inevitably intervention of armed forces. Will Nigeria at that stage be calling for respect for the constitution? Now is the time to speak out on the on-going massacre in West, East and Central Africa.

Nigeria’s mess more than Zimbabwe can only largely contribute to the bloodshed in these countries, as Africans rise against sit-tight leaders.