Playing Ostrich as the Earth Quakes: African Rulers Reaction to Changes in the EU and the USA.

by Eze Eluchie,

When the first tremors occurred with the resounding resolve of the British electorate to pull their country out of the European Union, some optimists had wrongly calculated the Brexit votes was merely an aberration that would be internally reversed by efforts of some desperados to have a second Referendum Vote or prolonged delaying tactics that would make the commencement of the exit of Britain from the EU so long drawn out that it would not even ever be initiated. This wishful thinking has since been dispelled with the hardline posture of the new British Prime Minister, May, towards extricating Britain from the EU – a hardline posture that is garnering increasing support from across the increasingly populist and powerful extremist right-wing political actors that now dominate the European landscape.

A greater tremor, that would have registered a 10.0 on the Richter political scale, occurred with the election of a man who campaigned clearly on a pedestal to have an America-centric approach to global affairs; with promises to constrict some of the major life-lines that provide succour to millions of peoples in the African continent (remittances from Africans in diaspora); and threats to shut down global governance and arbitration mechanisms which has  been of immense life-sustaining benefit to Africa. 

To the emerging right-wing political changes in Europe and the emergence of a President Donald Trump in the US, the rulers of Africa, who it must be realized are mainly geriatrics who might be oblivious of the monumental impact the changes at the international arena will mean for their countries, have maintained unholy silence, nonchalance and an uncanny things-will-continue-as-usual attitude. One clear fact, however, is this: things will certainly not continue as usual!

Whilst countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America are strategizing and preparing themselves for the fallouts of nationalistic fervour, akin to extreme racism, across Europe and an inwards-focused United States where everything will be about ‘America First’ and hitherto presumed trite facts upon which the global order had been based, free trade and liberalization, were to be discountenanced, the rulers of African states continue to maintain an extremely irrational ostrich-like disposition to fundamental changes in global affairs, wallowing in the presumption that the loot they are able to stash away in Europe and the Americas will continue to act as cushion, shielding them from the angst of the millions of Europeans and Americans whose disenchantment with the current global order has led to the rise in right-wing nationalism and the ongoing change in global order.

Recent meetings of the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held in the course of the past few months since the quakes started with Brexit, have taken place without any formal recognition of the imminent collapse of the European Union and its implications for the various protocols and agreements entered between the various intra African organizations jointly or severally, with the EU. Rather than discuss unified continental approaches to addressing changes in Europe and the Americas or even preparing their populations for the oncoming quakes, it’s been business as usual at the various Summits of the AU, ECOWAS, SADC and the EAC, with the focus being the usual mundane communiqués which by now most close watchers of these intra-African organizations can recite off hand.

Some of the questions which should be agitating the minds of African states as the new dawn manifests ought to include: what becomes of the European Union-African Caribbean Pacific  (EU-ACP) Economic Partnership Agreements {the Cotonou Agreements) upon which the bulk of trade between the African continent and Europe is undertaken; and what becomes of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) a carrot routinely dangled across the face of African countries, by the US, as a means of access to the lucrative American market? Amongst other issues.  

Ordinarily, one would have expected African states to seize upon the unravelling of Europe to strive to extricate their economies from the stranglehold of the Cotonou Agreements which basically undermined the value commodities which represent the main contributions of African countries to global commerce whilst foisting slave-era practices on African states to compel purchase of exorbitant European products. US President Donald Trump’s insistence on ensuring ‘America First’, such as when he announced at his Florida ‘campaign-style’ rally that he approved the construction of contentious pipeline projects under the sole condition that the pipes to be used in the projects were manufactured in the USA, should, wherever possible, spur an equal Afro-centric insistence in use of domestically produced goods and services and reliance on indigenous personnel in all international contractual agreements with the US.

If sufficient proactive measures are not taken by African states to unshackle the continent and its over-exploited peoples from the burdens and chains foisted by past agreements with the EU which are weighed against Africa, Africa may merely be consigning itself to another lengthy bout of victimhood, of being serially raped, used and dumped under the guise of international trade agreements. Wake up Africa! The dawn of a new beginning is set.

Picture: Ostrich with heads in the sand.

Ruled By The Shameless.

by Eze Eluchie,

It is now exactly one month (31 whole days) that the Nigerian ruler departed the shores of the contraption on a so-called medical vacation to Britain. Buhari departed Nigeria on the 19th of January 2017 and is yet to either return to Nigeria or address Nigerians on his whereabouts or condition, till date.

Since his departure, all manner of despicable efforts at attempting to prove that Mr. Buhari is alive and ‘hale and hearty’ has been spewed on Nigerians by all manners of characters. In all these efforts, these characters overlook the inherent shame in having a ruler of a contraption perpetually on a brink, idling away in an undisclosed location outside the shores of the contraption over which he rules.

If in one month of his absence, Nigeria has clogged on as usual, perhaps, like the Financial Times columnist wrote, whether dead or alive, Buhari is insignificant to Nigeria and the contraption can now formally dispense with thoughts of his presence and move on.

If indeed he is still in alive and in Britain, does Mr. Buhari ever wonder what the British will be thinking of him and his continued stay in their country? Does Buhari wonder what harm his continued unending sojourn is causing the Nigerian state, economically and politically? An Igbo adage posits that when an in-law over stays, he will begin to be sent on errands by his hosts. Buhari has since overstayed his welcome in Britain, it will thus not be surprising if soon enough altercations which simply ought never to have occurred begin to be reported of the man who unfortunately still parades with the insignia of office of the President of the Federal Republic.  

If on the other hand the maximum ruler is ‘waiting for the results of his tests and convalescing’, is it not possible to replicate, anywhere in Nigeria, the entirety of the medical facilities and procedures and personnel (buildings, equipment and medical staff and whatsoever else) that has caused the shame of the contraptions ruler having to hide in some obscure locations for treatment for so long? Nigeria can certainly afford the cost of such replication. Such replication will also make the facilities made available in Nigeria be available to other Nigerians who might suffer from a similar ailment as is allegedly befalling the ruler. Such thinking will be sacrilegious to those who know that deep down, despite their pontificating, that they have no interest in the survival of the Nigerian state or its constituent citizenry.  

  

And probably when and if he does return to Nigeria, Mr. Buhari will have the guts to stand before Nigerians and talk about the need to ‘sacrifice for Nigeria’, ‘cut costs’, ‘fight corruption’ and whatsoever other such hogwash that has become his preferred topics in his second misadventure in governing the contraption. Good grief.

The inherent shamelessness is mindboggling.

Picture: Buhari’s ghoulish departure from Nigeria on 19^th January 2017 – yet to return till date.

That Trump – Buhari Phone Call: Taking Local Pranks International.

by Eze Eluchie,

In his letter to the Nigerian Senate announcing his temporary abdication from office to embark on a vacation, Mr. Mohammed Buhari had in keeping with Section 145 of the Nigerian Constitution, handed over his Office to the erstwhile Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibajo. In Buhari’s own words: “In compliance with Section 145{1} of the 1999 Constitution as amended, I wish to inform the Distinguished Senate that I will be away on a short medical vacation from Monday January, 23 to February 6^th 2017 and while I am away, the Vice President will perform the functions of my Office”. Since the transmission of the initial letter above to the Nigerian Senate, Mr. Buhari has neither returned to Nigeria, nor resumed his Office but has infact, via a second letter to the Nigerian senate dated.... indefinitely extended the period of his abdication from the Office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Technically, practically and otherwise, from the moment Muhammadu Buhari signed the letter handing over Presidential Powers to the Vice President, to act until such time as he, Buhari, returns from a protracted medical vacation abroad and proceeded on his 'vacation', Muhammadu Buhari ceased to be President of the Federal Republic. Buhari will however regain his position upon his return to Nigeria to assume the Office of President of the Federal Republic.

If as is being peddled around by the highly unreliable and established fabulists manning the Presidential Media team, the United States President, Donald Trump, was made to have a phone conversation with Mr. Buhari at his place of convalescence outside the shores of Nigeria, under the guise of having a phone call with the Nigerian President, then a fast one was played on Mr. Trump!

Mr. Trump, presuming he spoke with Mr. Buhari, did not speak with the President of Nigeria!!Mr. Trump had been '419ed'!!

Since his departure from Nigeria on the 19^th of January 2017, ostensibly for a ‘medical vacation’, the handlers of the Nigerian Presidency have been engaged in desperate efforts to convince Nigerians that all is well with the former President. Some of the antics deployed by the Presidency’s media team and the Information Ministry include surreptitious release of pictures ostensibly taken in the course of visits by some Nigerian politicians to the ailing Mr. Buhari, pictures showing Mr. Buhari in postures depicting a person in good health and of relaxed disposition.  Each picture of a ‘healthy’ Mr. Buhari, released by the Presidency’s handlers merely seemed to raise more doubts amongst discerning Nigerians as to the true state of affairs of Mr. Buhari’s health status.

Most Nigerians felt the scenario playing itself out was a poor imitation of the dire episode which occurred during the terminal days of late President Umar Yar’Adua when several antics were deployed by the former First Lady and some of her close associates to continue to maintain a facade of wellbeing and normalcy, whereas Umar Yar’Adua, who was on the throes of death, had become mentally and physically incapable of continuing in office as President. The facade allowed unprecedented fleecing of public funds under the authority of a non-existent President.

Though an unsavoury course, Nigerian have gone down this path of not knowing the whereabouts and health status of political heads before and are taking it in their strides in the believe, that sooner or later, the truth of the health status of Mr. Buharri will surface. To however take the pranks of projecting an ‘all-good’ image of Mr. Buhari to the international realm, insinuating a camaraderie between Mr. Buhari and Mr. Trump (as per alleged summaries of the phone conversation announced by Buhari’s Media and Publicity Adviser, Femi Adesina) and misdirecting foreign Heads of Government (President Donald Trump) into speaking with someone else under the guise of a phone call with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is detestable, reprehensible and unfortunate.

Picture: Buhari and Trump.

Wanted Back in Nigeria: Dead or Alive, preferably alive.

by Eze Eluchie,

Have you seen the man whose picture appears below?

Mohammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was last seen in public by Nigerians boarding a Presidential jet at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, Nigeria, ostensibly for a 10-day vacation in the United Kingdom.

The 10-day vacation expired on Monday, 2^nd February 2017. Mr. Buhari failed to return to Nigeria, show cause why he did not return as he had earlier stated, and continued to maintain an ominous silence towards the people of the contraption over which he ‘presides’.

Since the public departure on the 19^th of January 2017, several suspicious photographs have been published by the Nigerian federal Government ostensibly to convince Nigerians and the wider international community that Mr. Buhari is alive and healthy.

Following the unsavoury precedent which occurred during the dying days and eventual death of former President Yar’Adua when the former President had also undertaken a ‘medical vacation’ to Germany and Nigeria was ostensibly ruled for a period of time by a combination of the trio of the widow and senior security officials and the corpse of the then deceased President, Nigerians are expectedly apprehensive that history may be repeating itself.

If you have seen the Nigerian President, kindly get in touch with any Nigerian (not Nigeria’s federal Government or any of Nigeria’s foreign missions) or preferably take a picture of him and post on the various social media sites. In taking such pictures, you must ensure that the man whose picture appears below is captured in a manner that depicts the date the picture was taken.

The Nigerian President is wanted back home to basically come and complete his tenure, a tenure which has thus far, in its less than 18 months of nightmarish existence, turned around what was once the largest and fastest growing economy in the African continent to an economy in a vicious recession; increased divides along ethno-religious lines amongst the various peoples of Nigeria; witnessed the enthronement of deception and sly propaganda as a cardinal fulcrum of governance.  Buhari should come back and repair this mess he created, fostered and encouraged. If otherwise, the contraption will forge on.

It is also hoped, whether Mr. Buhari eventually returns back to office or answers the ultimate call of nature, that the Nigerian contraption spares itself of this seemingly endless embarrassment of senior government officials junketing to foreign lands to cater for basic health care needs. A territory which is forever enmeshed in seeking to know the whereabouts of its President is not likely to inspire much confidence in foreign investors.

When one recollects that in the 1960’s, the Saudi Royal family used to visit the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for their health care and medical needs, then one truly appreciates how far the Nigerian contraption has sunk and continues to sink.

Picture: One of the pictures of President Buhari released by Nigeria’s Federal Government as proof of the President being in good health in his London, UK, residence.