When Martin Luther King Jnr made that wonderful prophetic statement “I have a dream…” in 1968, little did he know that his prophesy would come into fruition in 2008, (forty years later). Jesse Run! Jesse Run!! Jesse Run!!! was the clamour of blacks in America at a time. While still contemplating the persuasion, a leader of blacks told him, “If you run for the presidency, you may fail, but if you don’t run, you have already failed”. Rev. Jesse Jackson nevertheless ran but failed.
The emergence of Barack Obama as the Presidential Candidate of the Democratic Party was God’s doing and the partial fulfilment of the first part of the Luther’s dream. When eventually the election came and result declared, the final fulfilment manifested. In God We Trust (In Deo Speramus) is the American motto consequently America could be seen as God’s Own Country. A lot of things mark America out as a model that cannot operate at the mediocre level or display a show of shame. As number one country in the world, America leads by example. To say the least, America is special from one thing to everything. Abolition of slavery was championed by the Americans.
Many American President have identified with history and events. Abraham Lincoln of USA was said to have never won any election from Council to Senate despite the fact that he tried for nine good times. But on his first attempt at the presidency, he won. He however declared that despondency or low ambition is a crime. William Taft was reputed to be the fattest American President. The bachelor – President of America was James Buchanan. Gerald Ford mounted the saddle of reign in America without a vote cast by the electorates. The 3 – term America Polio/Wheel Chair President was Franklin Roosevelt. Professor of Law, Woodrow Wilson suffered stroke while in office as American President. Ronald Reagan was the cowboy American President who disunited Soviet Union. He is otherwise called Perestroika President.. The Al Queda or Terrorism President was George W. Bush as it was during his reign that Pentagon suffered terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Consequently, Bush fought terrorism to a standstill. It is worthy of note that his father, George Herbert Bush, had as President of America too, fought the Gulf War in 1991 to rescue Kuwait from Iraqi annexation. So he is referred to as Gulf President. Barack Obama symbolizes the truth, transparency, liberation and freedom. In fact, with the election of Barack Obama as 44th American President, genuine and sincere liberation and freedom of the blacks everywhere particularly in America are displayed. Obama’s election finally crashed the wall of racism.
I could remember the colour-discrimination I experienced in the metro-train in Barcelona, Spain in 2002. I was travelling from Barcelona (wharf area) to Via Julia, a distance of about 10 km. Two young white ladies were already sitting when I came into the train-coach. As I sat with them, they stood up and left the entire seat for me and preferred to stand up. This is still in existence in Europe. But with the African-American Obama as the Numero Uno citizen of the most powerful nation on this planet, colour-bar has been interred. Like the defeat of segregation against the blacks in America, the African continent should benefit immensely from it. Countries in Africa where citizens, minorities etc are still being suppressed, kept in bondage, captivity, slavery should be disentangled from the chains. The prisoners of conscience in African countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Sudan, Congo DR, Niger, Chad, Western Sahara etc should be set free. Because in Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo made “gara gara” whenever Biafra or MASSOB was mentioned, the South-East Governors have become the “Kneeling Governors of Nigeria.” But Leopold Seghor of Senegal once said, “I prefer poverty in liberty to riches in slavery”. However, Fredrick Nietche, a German Philosopher, in his wonderful admonitions said, “I would rather be a slave on my feet than a King on my knees.” Thank God, the South-South Governors are gradually emancipating from their slavery..
No one ties a dog and tortoise as a pair in an athletic competition. Definitely, the tortoise will be drawing back the dog as their paces differ. In Nigeria for instance, the Northerners are quite distinct from the Southerners. The Northerners are predominantly Moslems while Christianity dominates the South. This is why when Pentagon was attacked by terrorists in 2001, it was reported that there was jubilation in the North but the Southerners were downcast and in pensive mood. In the South, there are freedom fighters but the North has terrorists. Western Education rules in the South but Islamic Education is the much sought after by the Northerners. Many Northerners see might as right but Southerners uphold tenaciously the doctrine of might lies in right. To kill an “infidel” is a license to heaven when actually killers are hell-bound. Perhaps this is why violence is preferred by some Northerners to sense of reason even though whoever claims monopoly of violence suffers from self deceit.
Is it not provoking violence in the 21st Century for somebody to conscript, abduct or kidnap forcefully another of a different religion and coax the person to renounce one’s religion and accept the captor’s religion failure which the captive is beheaded and the worshiping place set on fire? This is not only barbaric and inhuman, it is also as un-African as it is ungodly. What progress and development do such a country expect to make where some citizens are under duress to be citizens of “their” countries? Are those forced citizens not prisoners of conscience, under bondage and slavery? If one says he does not want to be with you because of your inhumanity to man, illiteracy, senselessness, primitively, parasitism etc why not allow him to be on his own? As amalgamations exist among nations in the past, so does separation exist in modern times among discordant unions. After all, marriage partners divorce.
Eritrea separated from Ethiopia. Zambia and Zimbabwe burst out of Rhodesia. Today the problem of Zimbabwe does not affect Zambia directly. Soviet Union gave birth to many countries. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Sunday February 17, 2008. Consequent of the objection of Serbia and Russia, European Union sent over 2000 police officers to help maintain peace and order. But then, why is the forced co-existence in Africa so rampant with countries where Islam is so pronounced – Nigeria, Sudan, Morocco, Niger, Chad, etc? This does not portray Islam in good light. Why cannot Biafra, Niger Delta, Middle Belt, Arewa, Oduduwa become independent from Nigeria peacefully since they are incompatible nations? Under her own independence, Arewa can adopt Islamic Sharia / Education or way of life instead of forcing it on every citizen of Nigeria. Even, Arewa can amalgamate with Niger Republic if she still wants to be a larger country or even break into smaller nation – Eastern and Western Arewa. Perhaps to implement a jihadist agenda warranted Nigeria’s border with Niger being so porous? The Niger citizens go in and out of Nigeria whenever and wherever they want with no travelling documents. The security agents do not even intercept these suspected foreign terrorists. Truly, governance in Nigeria has failed. As a matter of fact, Nigeria is a failed state. Therefore, the plan of the United States and her Allies to send 20,000 African Command Soldiers to Nigeria is welcome no matter what they are coming for. If Biafra becomes a country, Biafraland will be US or Africom Military Base.
President Fidel Castro of Cuba had a Commander’s Commander in the person of General Ochoa. He was his best friend, classmate, playmate and indeed everything. In fact, if there was any serious and hard assignments or anything needing a person of integrity, Gen. Ochoa was usually sent across. However, because of this privileged position of trust, General Ochoa of Cuba and General Emmanuel Noriega of Panama misused this position of trust to trade on illicit drugs. On their apprehension, General Noriega was sentenced to jail in the United States of America while General Ochoa was repatriated to Cuba. Before a Military Tribunal, he was sentenced to death. But then, it was only Fidel Castro, the President, who could save his life by granting him amnesty. Faced with this dilemma, Fidel Castro cried publicly. He then said in his helplessness, “Para que le revolucion supervivera algunas veces ha der hacas dano a simismo”. This means, in order that our revolution survives, at times it has to do harm to itself.. General Ochoa was eventually executed.
In order that minorities and discordant nations in African countries are saved from slavery, captivity and bondage of their co-country men, self-rule or independence should be granted to them. Doing this will enable these captives benefit also from Barack Obama’s black liberation and freedom which America has set the pace and blossomed. Above all, if Barack Obama frees or liberates these people from their various enslavement, definitely history will truly record him as the “Liberation or Freedom President or America.
Mr. Ezennaya writes for the World Igbo Times Magazine, London
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment