Thursday, June 18, 2015

The Dumber You Are; The More We Support You!

by Eze Eluchie

A close study of the relationship between the characters that have been opportune to rule over sub-Sahara Africa States and some non-African powers will reveal a startling reality: the less intellectually endowed rulers have clearly received more support from the 'international community' than rulers perceived to be intellectually savvy or patriotic to their countries of origin.

Until the ‘misstep’ of the threatened mass deportation of persons of Indian ancestry from Uganda, one of the most vicious, dumbass, ignorant and senile rulers who any country has ever had the misfortune to be governed by, who also happened to be an acclaimed cannibal, ‘field marshall’ Idi Amin Dada of Uganda, had a most cordial, near fraternal relationship with the erstwhile colonial masters of his country, the United Kingdom, and by extension, the ‘international community’.

In a similar vein, a kleptocrat-per-excellence, butcher of his population and sadistic despot who stole so much from his richly endowed country that he once had the effrontery to loan money to his country, Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was a much ‘loved’ and ‘respected’ African ‘leader’ in the corridors of power in Paris. This ‘love’ and ‘respect’ for Mr.  Mobutu by the erstwhile colonial overlords of the DRC, France, and by extension the ‘international community’, continued until the very last days of the brute’s regime.

Similar support for despots whose hands are soiled with the bloods of their countrymen and whose pockets are lined with loot from their country’s treasury, by the ‘international community’, permeates the entire African continent across history and into the present. It really takes spectacular intellectual depravity for anyone to deliberately set out to hurt his own country, deplete its resources only to enrich foreign domains.

Nigeria has been particularly afflicted with this syndrome with some of ours receiving the most support from the 'international community' both whilst in office and after being forced out/leaving office (such as the old despot, Olusegun Obasanjo) and perhaps the most patriotic {and devious, if you factor in his role in the Asaba massacre of 1968} been cut short the moment they begin to display some common sense (such as Murtala Mohammed).

The relationship between the ‘international community’ and leaders in the African continent who have shown a remarkable disposition towards the wellbeing of their populations and a willingness to assert an independent and patriotic disposition is, on the other hand, hardly cordial, mostly fraught with suspicion and certainly no mutual ‘love’ and ‘respect’.

Such leaders are systematically isolated, portrayed as pariah and evil and efforts made to effect ‘regime change’ either via direct coups or energetic support for stooges propped up as ‘opposition’ elements, elements that will be effectively backed by a deluge of ‘civil society activists’, ‘international election observers’ and international right organizations. The late leader of Burkina Faso, Captain Thomas Sankara, is a clear example of what happens to leaders in sub-Sahara Africa who try to exhibit any semblance of intellectual sagacity.


It is perhaps, thus, no surprise whatsoever that the most vilified, head of any African country, also happens to be the one that is by far most educated amongst the lot – Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.



Picture: Two dumbass African rulers: Uganda's Idi Amin Dada and Zaires (DRC) Mobbbutu Sese Seko; Two intellectually sound African leaders: Burkina Faso's Capt. Thomas Sankara and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe.


Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Continuing Protection Of Religious And Other Freedoms

by Eze Eluchie

The sycophantic disposition of Consul-General at Nigeria’s High Commission to South Africa, Mrs Uju Ajulu Okeke, during the recent visit of President Buhari to Johannesburg, is worrisome and hopefully not a precedent others will feel compelled to imitate.

Though there is no indication that Mr. President made any insistence that the Nigerian Ambassador MUST cover herself up in Islamic Hijab whenever she is around the President, was any such preference subtly communicated?

A key question that crops up is: Will others in Ambassador Ajulu Okeke’s shoes, who feel a need to ingratiate themselves to the new helmsman, need to conform to particular religious dress-codes, or religious doctrines, to keep their jobs, continue to provide for their families, continue to be relevant under a regime headed by Mr. Buhari, a self-confessed devout Muslim.


It is hoped that basic freedoms, particularly of religious preferences, right to expression and other fundamental rights, continue to be respected and preserved as we march on our tenuous and precarious route towards democratic governance. 



Picture: President Buhari with Ambassador Ajulu Okeke in Johannesburg and the Ambassador alone.


Thursday, June 4, 2015

Will President Buhari Stand By Our Heroes?

by Eze Eluchie

I have just read the skewed, unfortunate and unprofessional Amnesty International report (released today, 3rd June 2015) on Nigeria’s effort at tackling BH.

Blame should not go solely to the characters who crafted such insensitively biased reports but perhaps we have to inquire into the local collaborators who, for lucre and some grants, would even sell their mothers.

I wonder why similar calls for probe of Chief’s of Army Staff’s, Senior Generals and commanding officers has not emanated from Amnesty International for the role played by the various armies which battled Al Qeida in Iraq and Afghanistan and those confronting ISIS across the Middle East.

Our soldiers continue to sacrifice daily to defend the rest of the contraption – efforts to portray them in bad light, deflate their morale or shake their resolve should be condemned by all well meaning Nigerians and persons everywhere interested in eradicating terrorism.

Considering that:
a.      As Presidential Candidate of the opposition, current President and Commander in Chief of Nigeria's Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, had stated that the efforts by the Nigerian military against Boko Haram terrorists in the North was an attack against the North and Northerners; and

b.      The haste with which President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed 'concern for the enormity of evidence' contained in the just released scathing Report by Amnesty International against the Nigeria Armed Forces and some of its principal officers, regarding Nigeria's war against terror;

Can the President, Muhammadu Buhari be trusted to be fair in his reactions to the AI reports and his dealings with our heroic military forces? Can Mr. President 'cover the back of our boys'?

If no, what if anything, can our military do to ameliorate the situation.

Will he seek to sacrifice our heroes to appease external interests?

Our military, like all soldiers the world over (including the military of the US, UK and those of EU member states), engaged in tackling unconventional forces/terrorists, are faced with serious challenges in containing terrorists whilst adhering to the international rules of engagement. Collateral damages may occur, but such should not dilute the overall objective of rooting out terror.


Nigeria's push against terror must be unwavering and must succeed - alternatives to this are unworthy of consideration.



Picture: President Buhari in his first meeting with Service Chiefs of the Nigeria Military and Security agencies.