Mandela and Nigeria<\/p>\n
During the apartheid days in South Africa, Nigerians were at
\nthe forefront of the fierce fight against this evil system. Many
\nof us were in fact ready to die for the black majority who were
\nthe real victims of apartheid. Apartheid, once strongly supported
\nby the Western world out of economic interests, is today no more.<\/p>\n
The new South Africa and Nigeria, the two strongest African
\nnations, became so close, so sisterly, so brotherly, this
\nproximity produced new hope for a better Africa.<\/p>\n
After some time, the South African President found himself at
\nloggerheads with all Nigerians for two reasons. First, the issue
\nof writer Ken Sarowiwa and other Ogoni leaders who were hanged by
\nNigerian authorities for murder in 1995. This happened despite
\nMandela's appeal for clemency.<\/p>\n
Nigerian leaders do not see Mandela as anything other than a
\nfriend but he was heavily flattered by overseas Nigerian
\nopposition groups as \"the only moral voice on the continent\" who
\ncould sway the Nigerian authorities. At the time, President
\nMandela unfortunately had so little knowledge of these Nigerian
\nopposition groups.<\/p>\n
A bunch of frustrated academics are one opposition group. They
\nare from one ethnic group who blindly believe in paper
\nqualifications like a religion. They even believe only
\nwestern academic degrees should be the main leadership criterion
\nin Nigeria. Therefore they should be the leaders, not anyone
\nelse.<\/p>\n
Luckily Mandela realized this eventually and so disassociated
\nhimself from them. Now, they have a new strategy through which
\nthey want to use Mandela again for their political ends.<\/p>\n
For example, The Jakarta Post of Aug. 1 reported a similar
\nmisunderstanding between Mandela and Nigerian officials. In the
\narticle, a Nigerian Minister was alleged to have said \"... a
\nwhite country with a black head (of state).\"<\/p>\n
This statement was unproven and instead, the controversy was
\nblamed on the same Nigerian opposition politicians overseas who
\nintentionally misconstrued the Nigerian minister's original
\nstatements.<\/p>\n
Walter Ofonagoro, the Nigerian Information Minister said
\n\"opposition politicians ... were determined to prevent the
\ncreation of good relations between South Africa and Nigeria.\"<\/p>\n
I am afraid some powerful foreign countries may not be good
\nfriends of Nigeria, so they use opposition groups to achieve
\ntheir selfish ends. Incredibly, these opposition Nigerians are
\nsupplied with lethal explosives which from time to time they
\ndetonate in their own country. The result is that many innocent
\nlives are lost.<\/p>\n
The second reason Mandela and the Nigerians were at
\nloggerheads was because he was calling for very destructive
\ninternational sanctions against Nigeria for alleged human rights
\nviolations. His call was warmly welcomed by the West.<\/p>\n
I personally respect Mr. Mandela as a true African
\nnationalist, an elder statesman and an internationally accepted
\nfreedom fighter. I cannot help but quote the last paragraph of
\nthe back page of the Aug. 1 Post that \"Mandela subsequently
\nspearheaded calls for economic sanctions, including an oil
\nembargo against Nigeria but backtracked after he found no
\ninternational support and was slapped down by the Organization of
\nAfrican Unity.\"<\/p>\n
BUHARI ABDU<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mandela-and-nigeria-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }