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Nigerians Have Voted By Elie Smith
The West African state of Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa, and the second largest and strongest economy of the continent has just terminated her series of elections. And the machines of the prophets of doom are now in full throttle. They have predicted the worst. But the question to Nigerians and others who are always quick at running their mouths negatively is this: what will you gain if Nigeria falls apart? Some have been quick at ruling that, the Nigerian elections were flawed while others want a rerun. It is true that, the elections were not perfect and Nigeria’s president himself has acknowledged that. But did Nigerian opposition political parties with their notorious divisions really think they could defeat the out going government?
Everybody can criticise Nigeria’s election but not the European Union and their observer team and in particular their spokesperson Mr Max Van Den Berg MEP who has been vocally very critical. The European Union is an organisation that has always shone in their contradictions. Where they have to Lionise, they instead act as Hares and where they have to act like Hares, they show their ugly face: wickedness and hypocrisy. The blatant disregard shown to Nigeria and Nigerians by the Brussels based organisation may give joy to enemies of Nigeria, but it would be nice to see if the European Union can show their teeth that way to Morocco that is occupying Western Sahara for 30 years now or to General Omar Al Bashir of Sudan.
The European Union that today wants to give lessons to Nigeria on electioneering and democracy is an organisation that prefers their cows to human beings or their Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Hence, instead of allowing Africans and other third world countries to trade freely, they erect commercial barriers. It is also an organisation that has no scruples when she wants to deal with dictators and dictatorial governments. Hence, even though Morocco snubs and violates International norms by occupying Western Sahara and dictating her own terms of solving the crisis to UN, the European Union won’t talk. The European Union has been running her loud mouth on Darfur but has acted very little. More shocking and in their shameless manifestation of hypocrisy, Sudanese government’s greatest supporters are found in Brussels. No wonder Europeans are sick and tired and thus want to put an end to the hegemony and intrusion of the Soviet style Brussels based organisation in their lives.
Nigerians have voted and in whatever camp that you may belong; there is need for restrain in the use of adjectives floated around to qualify the great leap that the West African country has just taken. Some section of the International Western media who relish seeing Africa through their own prism of bigotries and obfuscations have also run amok in ruling off the sacrifices of Nigerians. And the men singled out for whacking are the out going president Olusegun Obasanjo and Professor Maurice Iwu, the head of the Independent Electoral Commission. But the International press and others are always quick at naming names when things go wrong. It is certain that, there were irregularities and there were spates of violence.
But was president Obasanjo alone responsible for all the irregularities and spats of violence that rocked the Nigerian elections? General Obasanjo is not a perfect man just as all human beings are not perfect, but he has done is own fair share of positive contributions to Nigeria, Africa and the world. Anybody who says the contrary is simply dishonest. Obasanjo is the one who removed Nigeria from the list of pariah nations that, the violent and corrupt rule of late General Sani Abacha enlisted her on.
He is also the one who has paid Nigeria’s foreign debts, carried out courageous economic reforms and also introduced a high dose of prudent macro economic managements, whose immediate results has been the reform of the banking sector and record level of Nigeria’s foreign reserves and the birth of a diversified economic base. He has played his own part and the ball is now in the court of President elect Umar Musa Yar’adua and his deputy Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and also Nigerians of all walks of life. All positive things that Obasanjo has done for Nigeria has been ignored by the same section of the International Press that, has decided to focus on Nigeria during these elections period just to satisfy their bigotries.
But they and some Nigerians will be shocked. For Nigeria won’t fall apart or run into a brutal civil war as they so desire. This is because that country doesn’t belong only to Nigerians. All those scheming to destroy Nigeria will meet on their way large voluntary army of lovers of Nigeria who are willing and ready to die for her. It is true that, these elections were not perfect, but since those ever ready critics have selective memories, they needs to be reminded that, Nigeria’s democracy is just 8 years old and these elections should and must be considered as a dry run or a practice. And since practice makes perfect, the next experience will certainly be better than these ones.
Nigeria is a budding democracy and Obasanjo is not Paul Biya or Robert Mugabe and on the east of Nigeria is Cameroon, a country that, since 1960 has only known dictatorship. Cameroon is a country that is geographically and economically smaller than Nigeria. Her population oscillates between 10 and 15 million, the approximation in Cameroon’s population is because no census have been carried or for 15 years. But strangely census has been going on with no results available yet. In little Cameroon, there is no hope of power transfer as Obasanjo has just done. This is food for thought to those who have elevated Nigeria bashing into an art.
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