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Economic Confidential,
June, 2009
FEATURES
Yet, Another Airforce One Trajects Over Nigeria
By Norris Benedict
Last year February, the White House in another of its usual familiar
statements announced that President George W Bush will be embarking
on what may be his last Presidential trip to Africa. Excerpts of the
well published statement emphasized Bush will be visiting countries
that are of strategic importance and relationship to the United
States. The White House Press Secretary named the countries as
Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia and stated in details Mr.
Bush’s itinerary with the respective Presidents.
Not a few Nigerians were furious at such brazen display of contempt
for their country in this latest exercise were three west African
countries were visited while the ‘giant of Africa’ situated in this
zone was trajected over. The fury of Nigerians were not misplaced
because whether anyone likes it or not, the country as the sixth
largest producer of crude amongst other critical natural reserves it
exports is a major factor that cannot be ignored or shunned in such
a visit especially by the United States which remains a major
beneficiary.
But as the database of intellectual knowledge and exchange,
discourses amongst those that were in the know kick started and
within no time the real reasons for this complete exemption of
Nigeria was out.
The United States of America as symbolized by Mr. Bush’s government
of the time was not willing to have anything to do with the failed
and incompetent government of Mr. Musa Yar’adua. The very fraudulent
manner he assumed leadership of the country, his high tolerance for
corruption, gross ineptitude and the scorn and disdain with which he
was held by Nigerians was pointed to as specific reasons why his
abode was avoided like a highly infectious disease in the latest
trip.
The propagandists of the shameful government led by its publishing
outfit – Thisday Newspapers – immediately went to town with the
story that Bush was avoiding Nigerian because Mr. Yar’adua bravely
rejected Bush’s request to site the US Africa Command (AFRICOM)
within the country. The publishing outfit whose goal at objective
reporting has been mired by the Publishers love for lucre and
promptings of vanity, also went ahead to sell a lie that the
clueless Nigerian ‘President’ did the rejection because of his love
for the Niger delta people. This ignoble lie was widely bought by
the naïve but today we know who loves the delta more. The story sold
by Thisday was total balderdash.
The crux and truth of the matter remains today that the major
aspects that were used as factors to determine the “countries of
strategic importance” to include in the Presidential itinerary were:
African countries supporting genuine democratic reform; African
countries with high respect for human rights; African countries
operating a transparent open investment regimes and African
countries with sound and meaningful economic opportunities.
That said and with the Bush era over, a new US government loved by
the world recently announced yet another African trip that would
bring it to West Africa between the 10th and 11th
of July and an easy guess it is – Nigeria is not on the list. The
Aeronautic experts manning Airforce One have being mandated to
coordinate trajectory points that will see the jet and its latest
occupant fly over Nigeria scornfully. What a shame!
What is the reason this time around? Did Obama ask to site AFRICOM
within the precints of Nigeria? We are waiting for Thisday to unfurl
its latest package of lies in this age that has being smoothened by
the Freedom of Information!
The White House Press Secretary Rob Gibbs in a statement said the
President would be meeting his Ghanaian counterpart Atta Mills in
Accra to discuss a range of strategic issues which he stated
emphatically was to be a meeting with “their most trusted partner in
sub-Saharan Africa”.
The Obama administration currently reknown for stretching out its
hands to countries like Iran, North Korea and Cuba is set to avoid
Nigeria like a plague. Official secrets briefly leaked to the press
point to President Obama’s disappointment with the latest “south
west election” held in Nigeria where the echoes of the rigging
machinery marshaled by the Federal Government was felt world wide.
Amongst other things, a pointer has being made by the US States
department to Yar’adua’s underperformance, improper handling of the
Niger delta situation, high rate of corruption tolerance, untoward
hardship faced by citizens and the unfolding of a highly tainted and
compromised electoral reform package which spells doom for the
countries ‘nascent’ democracy.
It is very sad that under the very watch of Nigerians, the most
colourless ‘President’ ever to emerge in history is turning us back
into a pariah, all these while they sit quietly and clink glasses to
the reality of an Obama emergence. This man Yar’adua is more inept
than Mr. Shehu Shagari and yet some have started drumming support
for his 2011 re election in a period were Nigerian are being dressed
up to pay 100 naira for a litre of vehicle gas, in a period were
infrastructure, security of lives and property is at its lowest ebb.
Well I must confess that just as I couldn’t fathom an Abacha
Civilian Presidency that was to start of 1st October 1998
so also I find it hard to see an eight year Yar’adua Presidency, it
just won’t and can’t work at this knowledgeable age of self
determination. Infact it doesn’t register on my consciousness.
We are totally faced with a free fall to oblivion because of the
current manner of governance we have but I am happy that a motley of
activities by Nigerians around the globe which is fast growing will
help mitigate and finally exorcise this cancer.
As the rhythms of revolution are gradually being upped globally, we
are pleased to say, “Nigeria shall be reclaimed from the hands of
the ignoble”.
Lets all meet at the London Metropolitan University on the 29th
of May.
Norris Benedict
fsixteens@googlemail.com |
