Buhari’s Gambian Gambit As Borno Burns
Farooq A. Kperogi
By Farooq A. Kperogi, Ph.D.
Twitter: @farooqkperogi
Gambians are our West African brothers and sisters who deserve our help in their hour of need. I get that. But no one can truly help the other when they are themselves in need of help, when they are wracked by internal turmoil. President Buhari has no business being in Gambia’s business while his country burns.
Imagine for a moment that Nigeria's current president were a man called Goodluck Jonathan (or, for that matter, any southern Christian), and the military “mistakenly” dropped a bomb on hapless internally displaced Boko Haram victims, killing scores of them and critically injuring many more. Imagine again that such a president didn't deem it worth his while to visit the state where this grievous tragedy happened, but instead chose to go to another country to resolve the country's political differences. What would we northern Muslims be saying by now?
Well, something close actually happened in late 2014. At a time Boko Haram captured Mubi, Adamawa's second largest town and former Chief of Defense Staff Alex Badeh's hometown, Goodluck Jonathan chose to travel to Burkina Faso to resolve the country's political crisis. The public denunciation that followed that presidential indiscretion was swift and massive.
This was what I wrote in my November 8, 2014 column titled, "State of Emergency Amid Worsening Boko Haram Insurgency": "Amid the heartrending humanitarian disaster that Boko Haram has wreaked on Mubi, the president chose to travel to Burkina Faso to 'resolve' the country’s political crisis. Which sane person goes to put out another person’s fire while his house is up in flames? I have never seen a more cruelly insensitive and clueless response to a grave national crisis than this in my entire life."
Buhari's situation is actually worse. The military he is commander-in-chief of, not Boko Haram, was singularly responsible for “mistakenly” killing scores of vulnerable, hungry and serially cheated IDPs, and all he has done is issue a “regret” through his Twitter handle. He didn’t physically travel to Borno State to condole with and comfort the people. He is more concerned with and consumed by what is happening in the Gambia than the humanitarian tragedy that is unfolding in his own backyard.
To be clear, I don’t think the Nigerian air force deliberately targeted the IDPs. I don’t see what purpose that would serve. It is entirely reasonable to agree that it was genuinely an accident. But it’s a monumental, unprecedented national disaster nonetheless. It should have invited a solemn presidential national broadcast, not a mere tweet, which we all know the president didn’t even compose.
It’s true that even well-trained military personnel like America’s have had occasions to accidentally bomb wrong targets in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. But we are talking here of a nation’s military accidentally bombing its own fellow citizens in their own country—and in their weakest and most helpless state!
A Facebook friend of mine by the name of Solomon Wise captured the tragedy this way in his comment on my wall: “Ravaged by Boko Haram and forced to live in an IDP camp in their own country where Govt officials steal their food. Now mistakenly bombed.” This caused me to shed a tear. Call me a wimp if you like, but it did make me cry.
Now, a presidential national broadcast to mourn this tragedy and a personal visit by the president to give emotional strength to the bereaved won’t bring back the lost lives, but it would show respect for the dead and show that the president cares and takes responsibility for the fatal error of the people he is commander-in-chief of. In no serious country in the world would a president fly to another country in the face of this unexampled tragedy and ask his Chief of Staff to represent him in condoling grieving families.
I am not by any means minimizing the horrendousness of other humanitarian tragedies that the president has unwisely chosen to justify (such as the bloodcurdling military mass murders of Shias in Zaria) or ignore (such as the absolutely condemnable butchery in southern Kaduna and Agatu), but the accidental bombing, by the Nigerian military, of the survivors of Boko Haram’s unspeakable savagery amid the unconscionable governmental neglect they already suffered deserved a swifter, less insensitive, and more humane response from the commander-in-chief.
There is no way to sugarcoat it: Buhari's response is at once clueless, cruel, and condemnable. Unfortunately, it fits a pattern that is emerging in his attitude to and relationship with the poor. He has a profoundly ice-cold contempt for the poor.
Although he has traveled to virtually every continent in the world and has budgeted hundreds of millions of naira this year to travel to even more countries, he has never visited the theaters of Boko Haram insurgency. He simply sits in the luxury of Aso Rock and proclaims the “technical defeat” (whatever in the world that means) of Boko Haram and talks to soldiers on the front lines via closed-circuit television.
What would it cost the president to pay a symbolic visit to the northeast—and elsewhere? When he was soliciting votes from potential voters, he traveled to every state except Yobe. He campaigned in Borno and Adamawa, which were gripped by a fiercer confrontation with Boko Haram than now.
Why won’t the president visit Borno now, especially in light of the quick succession of tragedies that have hit the state? Before the “accidental” bombing of IDPs, a University of Maiduguri veterinary medicine professor and 4 others were murdered by a 7-year-old Boko Haram suicide bomber.
Well, you know, the victims are poor, unknown people who are of no consequence to the president. When former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s daughter got married in Adamawa, the president braved out the “odds” (never mind that he says he has “technically defeated” Boko Haram) and physically attended the wedding ceremony. Nobody represented him. He even said his wedding-induced visit gave him a glimpse of the suffering of the people of the state and caused him to shed tears, hopefully not crocodile tears.
Had a humanitarian tragedy struck Adamawa, you can bet your bottom naira that the president won’t personally go there. Apparently, poor people don’t matter—unless their votes are needed as ladders to climb to power. Perhaps a rich, politically connected Borno man should marry off his daughter and invite the president. Maybe that is what it would take for the president to visit Borno. All people who want the president’s presence in their states should replicate this stratagem.
It appears that, for President Buhari, who had been falsely thought of for years as a defender of the talakawa, only the rich matter. That’s why he attends rich people’s festive occasions outside of Abuja and instructs his media aides to issue presidential birthday wishes on the occasion of rich people’s birthdays, but picks and chooses which tragedies involving poor people he comments on or commiserates with.
To be fair to Buhari, most, perhaps all, Nigerian politicians deeply disdain the poor. We only thought Buhari was different. He obviously is not. Sad.
School of Communication & Media
Kennesaw State University
Cell: (+1) 404-573-9697
Personal website: www.farooqkperogi.com
"The nice thing about pessimism is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." G. F. Will
Bayo Omolola
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Bayo Omolola
Bayo Omolola
Cornelius Hamelberg
Professor Kperogi,
The points you make are well taken.
As di book-people dem kin say, “Charity begins at home” but in my view, it does not have to be complete peace and happiness at home in Nigeria, before you can extend a helping hand to others; we ought to do what we can, whenever and wherever we can, to help others – even if we ourselves are in need of help. As some Muslim sheikhs teach - Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the only One Who helps – and does not need help - there is also Surah al Hajj Ayat 40 which reads
"Indeed Allah will help those who help Him. Indeed Allah is Exalted in Might, All-Powerful."
Some of the rabbis have taught that there are some things that Hashem demands of his people, such as the ritual circumcision, otherwise everybody would be born already circumcised.
It was not all peace and tranquillity in Nigeria before or whilst Maxwell Khobe was helping to put out the RUF fire in Sierra Leone – so, today what was formerly Westmorland Street (for a few years I once lived at number 37 Westmoreland Street, at the absolute centre of Freetown – opposite the Cotton Tree and the Sierra Leone museum - and that street is now renamed Sani Abacha Street - in appreciations of Sani Abacha's commitment to the Nigerian-led ECOMORG helping to end the RUF-imposed war in Sierra Leone.
President Buhari's input - his several visits with other West African heads of state - to meet and try to persuade President Jammeh to relinquish power was crucial - so much was at stake - (we are told that on the first visit President Jammeh kept them waiting for over an hour, before he joined them in his presidential lounge and that he then went up to President John Mahama who had just conceded defeat in the presidential election in Ghana , and told him smilingly, “ Your people don't want you ! ”
Consider:
2 tonnes of cocaine seized in Gambia
President Buhari's willingness to commit the Nigerian military to the joint ECOWAS force was of inestimable importance in getting the electorally defeated Jammeh to leave power: It's said that he will eventually be on his way to Equatorial Guinea, where at least temporarily he will probably be a lot safer there than in neighbouring Conakry where Ahmed Sekou Toure once hosted Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Kwame Toure and Miriam Makeba...
Concerning he pros and cons of ECOMORG interventions - now if- God forbid - Brother Buhari were to loose the next presidential elections and he refused to quit, the question is, what ECOWAS/ ECOMORG force in the world would be ready to take military action ( land sea and air) to oust a Nigerian president or to force him to relinquish power? We cannot afford to get too big for our boots, the other saying is “Cut your coat according to your cloth”…
In this case some of your critiques are to the point, but let us give credit where and when it's due : A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Cornelius
Ibukunolu A Babajide
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Cornelius Hamelberg
A very important correction of a gross error: Sorry,to have misinformed you : Westmorland Street where we lived at number 37 and by “we” I mean, me, my grandmother, mother, step-father three brothers and our dear cousin Malcolm Seisay) that street has been renamed “Siaka Stevens Street” and not “Sani Abacha Street” – which is a very different street. You must understand that I was last in Freetown and only for ten days in April 1970 and then on a plane back to Legon which is in Ghana….
Emeagwali, Gloria (History)
I believe that we have just seen ECOWAS and West Africa at their best.
Congrats to all regional actors, in this case.
If Trump is bad, why is he POTUS? This is Chidi's question.
Here is a recap:
1. In any other part of the world, Hillary would have been recognized as the winner with 2 million votes more than Trump. Trump won because of the archaic electoral college system in place.
2. Russian intervention in support of Trump, by liaising with WIKILEAKS, at a crucial moment, is a factor that is still being investigated.
3. FBI intervention through James Comey at a crucial, defining moment, was detrimental to Clinton.
4. Trump was able to cultivate a hard core of of about 35% to 40% of the electorate, many of whom were underemployed, racially motivated and determined voters. This was a plus for the campaign but may not have been sufficient for a win without 1, 2 and 3.
5. The US does not have in place at this point in time, disqualifying criteria for neo-nazis, racists, fascists, misogynists etc.Lobbyists, campaign strategists, donors and so on, also have predominant roles. This particular election produced a team of billionaires in government.
Remember that Trump's rallying call is America First. Don't expect support for IPOB. In fact PEPFAR (AIDS treatment) funding may well be at risk.
GE
History Department
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2017 8:19 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Buhari’s Gambian Gambit As Borno Burns
Kenneth Harrow
I agree mostly, but not entirely, with Gloria. I would not emphasize the Russian fake news or wikileaks. Those folks wanted to hate Hillary, and didn’t need many excuses.
The real reasons were 4 and 5, plus 8 years of democrats generated a reaction, just as 8 yrs of republicans often generates reactions. But I want folks on this list to notice that race, racism, racialist reasons, as Gloria mentioned, were a very real factor. Half the country is biased against muslims and minorities, or, to say it better as Gloria did, a hard core of 35-40%, and another percentage who is indifferent to racial bigotry because they don’t live with any minorities. That’s very true of people living in the rural areas, more than those in suburbs or cities. They came out in droves, whereas minorities, the most vulnerable, did not come out in droves, and that turned the election.
For me gloria’s fifth point says it all. It is very very dispiriting to see the truth in her point, and it sets the agenda for progressive people to try to turn that tide in a positive direction. We will do it, somehow. The marches yesterday—we had a big one in my home town of lansing—keep us going with the hope that we can turn it around, and leave a better legacy for our children than rule by the super rich and alt-right bigots.
ken
Kenneth Harrow
Dept of English and Film Studies
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
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| From: Ibukunolu A Babajide Sent: Sunday, 22 January 2017 16:23 To: USAAfricaDialogue Reply To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com |
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Buhari’s Gambian Gambit As Borno Burns |
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Ibukunolu A Babajide
I do not always agree with Farouk Kperogi. However, I always read his interventions and I've found quite a few stimulating. We do need dissenting voices like his coming from a wellspring of love for Nigeria and humanity. I do not believe he is a PDP apologist neither does he hate the person of Mr. Prez. He is most likely frustrated and, or disappointed with PMB.The points he raised in the subject piece are very valid points."...what would northern Muslims be saying by now?"The duty of a public intellectual is to increase the space and scope of conversations to engage and interrogate the system. In this he has not even done enough but has done more than most of us.I am partial to the APC government of PMB but most times the PMB government has left me with a gnawing sense of loss for what could have been; the possibilities of a nation re-imagined. A rebirth that would stretch it's womb to embrace the other half has now itself miscarried and we are back in La La Land.That PMB chose The Gambia over the victims of the Rann bombing accident is depressing to put it mildly. Resolving the Gambia impasse promised and offered a Foreign Relations gild for the president's image (realpolitiks) that was too glittery for his handlers to resist. Not even a whistle stop before his vacay. Call me Judas but donot call me callous.Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
Dear Dr. Bayo Omolola,Farooq Kperogi is a closet PDP sympathiser. Do not expect any neutrality from him on matters concerning Buhari and the APC.I am glad his huge bias on this one caught your attention.Happy Sunday.Cheers.IBK
Ibukunolu A Babajide
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
perpetual apologists respond by invoking the existence of long standing race problems in the US even as that country reacted to attack on its own soil by counterattacking, thus entering into WW2.
thus the apologists try to justify ignoring and stoking domestic fires while helping to put out fires outside.
👿
Salimonu Kadiri
Thank you IBK for your submission below! As a patriot, what you will see sitting down, sectionalists will never see it even if they stand on the top of a ladder. A newspaper columnist who writes because of being well-paid must surely sell his/her conscience. The owner of Daily Trust, was a former PDP that defected into APC. He is preparing to contest for the Presidency in 2019 and it is the duty of paid columnists to act as mudslingers on Buhari in favour of their paymaster. Therefore, if Buhari rescues a child from drowning in a river, a Daily Trust Columnist, will write with a very big title, BUHARI KIDNAPS A CHILD.
On Saturday, 21 January 2017, the Daily Trust Columnist titled his campaign of calumny thus : Buhari's Gambian Gambit As Borno Burns. Twenty-four hours later, on Sunday, 22nd January 2017, the columnist wrote in : My Politics of Grammar thus, "Many people have asked me to explain the appearance of the definite article 'the' in the name of the Gambia, which just narrowly escaped a civil war thanks to the intervention of ECOWAS." The intervention of ECOWAS in the Gambia, spear-headed by Nigerian troops sent by Buhari prevented a civil war. The same mouth with which Professor Snail abused god, is now being used to lick the earth. Case closed.
S.Kadiri
Skickat: den 23 januari 2017 17:19
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