Features
Africa In Political Turmoil
In the morning of July 26, 2023 the world was shocked by soldiers who in Niger Republic, under the guise of the National Council for the Safety of the Homeland (CNSP), and loyal to General Abdiurahamane Tiani, detained the country’s President, Mohamad. Bazoum, citing security and governance concerns. Earlier in April, Mr Bazoum had dismissed Chief of Army Staff, General Salifou Mody and had also announced the plan to sack General Tiani.This was while the regional bloc, the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS), was still grappling with the coup situation in Mali earlier in 2022. Following the coup in Mali and the detaining of 46 Ivorien soldiers in the country, West African leaders had met in Abuja to brainstorm on ways of restoring security and constitutional order in the region, by setting up a regional peace-keeping force to intervene in the event of instability in any member state.. Arising from the meeting with a communique, the bloc declared as follows, “The leaders of ECOWAS have decided to recalibrate our security architecture to ensure that we take care of our security in the region.” It went further to affirm that, “The leaders are determined to establish a regional force that will intervene in the event of needs, whether this is in the area of security, terrorism (or, to) … restore constitutional order in member countries.”
Though ECOWAS did not give details of the constitution of the regional force, it said defence chiefs of member states were to meet the following month to work out the modalities. However, ECOWAS financers, Nigeria and Ghana were (and still are) bogged-down with internal economic crises, while the former was in the eve of major elections as at the time of the declarations. So it happened that while ECOWAS was still in the doldrumds as a new government was about to settle down from major elections in one of its key partners, the Nigerien junta struck to complete an unbroken belt, now referred to as “The Coup Belt” of the world. This area, with conspicuous foothold in West Africa, spans from the West African Atlantic coast, across the Sahel, to the Eastern African end that terminates at the Red Sea, representing a now notorious strip, where just within the last three years, military juntas have struck and successfully taken over some salarming and a bad dent for the west African region, and worrisome particularly for the regional bloc, ECOWAS. The bloc, and in deed the democratic world, now contemplate the future of democracy and civilian order in Africa. As early as 2017, all 15 member states of the ECOWAS were led by constitutional civilian governments. At the last count, six have been replaced by military juntas. Whereas the ECOWAS bloc pledges, among other benefits, to intervene in member states in the event of internal, destabilising crises to help restore and maintain constitutional order, the presence of these new crop of military leaders in its fold will make that complex task more unrealistic.
Already, the military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are at loggerheads with key ECOWAS international partners with the cancellations in those countres, of military agreements that allowed French troops to operate in their territories. Mali went further to remove French as its official language and called-off ties with the French financial system. While France was strategising to move troops displaced from Mali and Burkina Faso to Niger Republic as its new operational base, the coup in Niger and cancellation of ties with France have complicated the efforts. On a wider scene, apart from the Malian coup of 2012, the recent coups in Africa can be said to have kick-started in Sudan on April 11, 2019, with the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir by the Sudanese Armed Forces. The army under the command of Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf overthrew the government and National Legislature and proclaimed a three-month state of emergency in the north-east African nation, following mass demonstrations calling for President Omar al-Bashir’s ouster. On August 18, 2020, a splinter of the Malian Armed Forces, led by Assimi Gota, initiated a mutiny, followed by a coup d’état in which several government officials were detained with the president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keta. The president was forced to resign and dissolve the government. A new government came on-board with the coup mastermind and leader, Assimi Gota, playing the role of the Vice President. However, nine months later, in the evening of May 24, 2021, the Malian Army, under the command of Vice President Assimi Gota, seized his new boss, President Bah N’daw, the Prime Minister, Moctar Ouane, and Minister of Defence, Souleymane Doucouré, announcing the nation’s third coup d’état in 10 years since 2012, while transitting himself to the topmost position.
The Hichem Mechichi government of Tunisia was overthrown on July 25, 2021 by Kais Saied, who also suspended the Assembly of Representatives of the People and removed the immunity of its members. The coup followed political unrests, caused by anti-Ennahda protests and the breakdown of Tunisia’s healthcare system following the COVID-19 pandemic that spread in early 2020.On September 5, 2021, Alpha Condé, the president of Guinea, was taken prisoner by the military. The leader of the special forces dissolved the government and the constitution in a broadcast on state television by Mamady Doumbouya. This was closely followed on October 25, 2021 by another Sudanese coup in which General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Sudanese military, while detaining some top government officials, forcefully took over the country’s government. The ugly scene returned to West Africa on January 23, 2022 in Burkina Faso, where rumours of a coup d’état spread fast. By the following day, January 24, 2022, the military confirmed the removal from office, of the country’s constitutional head, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in a television announcement. That same year, in same Burkina Faso, precisely on September 30, 2022, just within eight months in office, another coup d’état removed Interim President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba from power, due to his apparent failure to handle the nation’s Islamist insurgency. Captain Ibrahim Traoré took over reigns in acting capacity. Islamist insurgency remains unsolved in the country.
In the last tally in West Africa, on July 26, 2023, in the counts of the number of coups that have painted the ECOWAS bloc in a new notoriety, forner President Mohamed Bazoum and his family have been left in captivity and begging the regional bloc to at least secure their safety. After the initial grand-standing between the new leaders in Niger, backed by fellow West-African comrades-in-arm on one hand; and the ECOWAS bloc led by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, backed especially by Niger’s colonial masters, France, the European Union and other Western powers, on the other hand, it is obvious that forceful intervention in Niger would be costly, in the face of more complex underlying factors. Mr Bazoum, who has been under intense pressure to formerly resign, is faced with the hard choice of considering his family’s safety and the increasingly elluding presidency and may likely handover to his former presidential guard commander, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, already in control of the new military junta as well as affairs in the county, even though France insists the government is illegal. These successful coups go without mentioning the unsuccessful attempts in Guinea Bisau in 2022, The Gambia in 2022 and Sierra Leone this year, with so many other unannounced rumblings. As if the rumbling storms, ominously hovering across the African continent, is seeking a new belt within the Francophone fronts, another coup, the 10th in Africa since 2017, was announced yet again on August 30, 2023 from relatively stable Gabon in Central Africa.
This time, another junta, disgruntled by results announcement by the election body, of general elections that held five days earlier, in which the ousted president, Mr Ali Bongo Ondimba, was declared winner as a sitting president seeking a third term in office, to extend his family’s 56-year hold to power in the Francophone, oil rich country of 2.3 million people.It has become noteworthy that over 78percent of coups in Africa since 1990 have occurred in Francophone countries making many to contemplate the nature of France’s influence in the governance politics, as well as in the economy and security of its former colonies, as a stabilising partner, being former colonial masters. Apart from the nature of agreements entered into with France by post-colonial, Francophone governments with respect to the exclusive economic, financial and political relations with France prior to the granting of independence, a situation most now resent, African leaders have repeatedly demonstrated excesses in power, leading to widespread discontents. Most nationals, especially in the former French colonies, see France as continuing to back governments in Africa despite their oppressive excesses. In Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and now, Gabon, there were obvious inducements to the frustrations that led to political change, however unjustified the coups may have been in the first place.
Mali’s former president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, had neglected the northern and central regions of his country, elections manipulated and repressed the consequential protests with brutal force. Guniea’s forner president, Alpha Conde, had reportedly rigged a constitutional referendum for his third term, while in Gabon, the greed for another third term, which would have assured a 56-year dinasty for the Ali Bongo family, was the anger. Burkina Faso’s Roch Marc Christian Kabore was accused, like every other leader within the Sahel, of poor handling of jihadist attacks which terrorise the entire region with heavy casualties on the armies of countries combating them. All juntas, point in the same direction of insecurity as part of reasons for seizing power, though they are yet to solve the problem. Accusing fingers have been directed particularly towards France, who has assisted the region to co-ordinate the international fight against Islamist insurgents through the Operation Barkhane. The rapid appearances of the Russian flags in capitals of African countries as coups take place, may be evidence of some other underpinnings. It not surpring that these new juntas while trying to edge-out France and its allies as their country’s former long-time partners, seek new alliances from either Russia or Turkey, in a fashion that paints some complex take over. It remains to be understood which way China, which has strong foot prints in Africa, stands in all these.
Take for instance, that Russian seemingly private mercenary security outfit, The Wagner Group, operates with deepening tentacles in these countries, in not clearly detailed missions. Given Wagna’s interests in natural resources and Russia’s resource wars in Europe, one begins to ask if there is more to the recent storm hovering in Africa. Is there a neo-scramble for Africa riding on Francophone resentments to pose as uprisings? Which country would be the next? The accelerating trend of coups in Africa is evolving clearer into a more fundamental challenge to Africa’s ties with the West and its systems of civilian-led, constitutional, pluralist governments, helped by development and military partnerships. One may ask, has democracy failed us, or is it in the nature of Africans to mismanage their affairs? Resource-rich African countries and leaders who constitute themselves into visionless stooges, should have some deeper reflections. However, for the mutiniers, It the pawns on the Chess board who don not understand the games to which they are applied. France should reconsider its African policies to free-up bondings that have become strangulating, without which, playing into the hands of its adversaries, it may as well continue to expect L’Afrique En Marche! on the African continent.
By: Joseph Nwankwo
From the fore going, the fight against drug trafficking should be treated as an international challenge with open collaboration, if the world leadership must win the fight!.
The circumstances or should I say the improvement on drug related activities are modifying and updating on daily basis. A close friend of mine in the United States of America who recently visited Jamaica, came with a lot of complicated information about drug trafficking and transaction. Being a qualified Nurse in US and on a visit to the Reggae Country (Jamaica), she said she was put aback when a man approached her and introduced himself as a Pharmacist. According to her, she immediately picked interest due to her professional background. To her, a business partner is birthed. But she was shocked to the narrows on learning that drug dealers or traffickers and subriquited Pharmacist in that Country. From her account, they ( The Jamaican Pharmacists), are the first set to people to meet and greet you at the Airport. No government or authority challenges them in the open due to the sophisticated nature of their transportation
Come to think of it, who would want to attack a Pharmacist on duty? Nigerians are not left out in the improvement on drug deal. A chat with a confident in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) Rivers State Command, so revealed. The Officer draw my attention to the movement of Dispatch Riders. He said part of the reasons they ride with almost speed equivalent of the thunder lightning, is to meet up with the appointment of delivering hard drug consignment to a client of theirs. According to him, those guys popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys are the ones who now payroll dispatch riders so that they can deliver their consignment ( hard drugs) on schedule no matter the sort of traffic or weather condition. The fear of loosing rich clients and that of the unknown treatment that may come of the Boys, as the officer puts it, drives the Riders crazy thus the reason to speed even at the expense of their lives.
The account of a prominent Party Promoter, Wayne Anthony, as obtained online recently, also pointed out that ‘No Legislation Will Stop Clubbers From Doing Drugs’ Party promoter, Wayne Anthony, arrived in Ibiza, a Spanish Island in 1988, at the same time as dance music and the party drug ecstasy. Despite hallucinating badly enough to make him give up the lifestyle forever, he says laws will never stop clubbers taking drugs. “I don’t think you can control these things,” said former party promoter Wayne Anthony. He arrived in Ibiza in 1988 and began setting up club nights and raves in some of the island’s most iconic venues. In the years that followed, the sleepy Spanish island turned into a raver’s haven of clubbing and hedonism, with party drugs like ecstasy commonly found. “What Ibiza represented was this beautiful, hot island which was visually stunning and we knew you could party there quite legally,” said Wayne. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder. You could just be as free as you possibly could be.”
That freedom came with a price. Along with the lavish clubs, all-day-benders and hot Spanish sun came drug cartels and crime. The city transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, “fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals”. Wayne, one of the contributors to the documentary, spoke to Sky News ahead of its release.”I’m not going to sit here and say the cartels aren’t there. They are all there and they’ve been there from the ’90s,” said Wayne. But he said most people tried to ignore the organised crime going on around them. According to Wayne, clubbers usually took the approach of: “‘Give me 10 E’s . Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Hallucinating giant spiders Although he described the Balearic island as the “motherland”, it was eventually a bad experience with drugs that convinced Wayne it was time to leave Ibiza.
He’d been partying for days when he realised he’d taken too many drugs. A friend told him to drink cough medicine, dangerous advice that he now says could have killed him. “I saw the worst hallucination I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I ended up locking myself in the villa with all the shutters down. When he sobered up, he realised he had “come to the end” of his party life on the island. “I never looked back. I never took another drug. I got away from the club world.” ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop it’ Despite his life-changing experience, he doesn’t think criminalising drugs is a good idea – or particularly effective. “If you’re old enough to vote for who’s going to be a world leader, if you’re old enough to put your name down on debt for 25 years, I feel like you should be old enough to govern what you put inside your own body, you know?” said Wayne.
Back to Nigeria, some illicit drugs worth over N30billion seized at Onne Port in Rivers State.
This blood chilling development forced the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency at the Onne Port, following what authorities described as repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through the said port. To this effect, the government said it was immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, in charge of the port via a press conference, said it henceforth, unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 Command, Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. In defence for his action, Adeniyi said the recurring incidents posed a threat to national security, adding that the health of citizens at the Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, describing it as a disturbing trend.
The customs boss stated, “Earlier today, I joined numerous stakeholders to take a significant step towards the cause of trade facilitation through the inauguration of upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. “As I express delight that trade facilitation is getting traction in Onne Port, I cannot help but call your attention to a grave concern. This has to do with the repeated incidents of national security breaches unfolding in Onne Port. I appreciate your presence, as we all have a shared responsibility in safeguarding our national security. As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports, Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to Trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches”.
“The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port, coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago. It is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts. Recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend; Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo. The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens. Today, we are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 2 Command. On display are twelve containers of illicit goods intercepted through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and meticulous physical examination. Seizures on Display include: Three (3) x 40-feet containers: Containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a Paid Duty Value (DPV) of N4,716,573,846.
“Others are, three x 40-feet containers containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items, with a DPV of N17,432,506,000 were seized”.
According to the report, more seized items were, “Five (5) x 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items, with a DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. This very action of the Nigeria Customs Service, further complicated the hope of how soon the fight against drug trafficking could be brought to a halt owing to its high profile nature.
Another hair-raising report of the illicit drug deal has it that when NDLEA bursted a Snake-Guarded Shrine Used For Storing Illicit Drugs sometime ago in Edo State. This very news report was published in The Tide Newspaper on June 24, 2024. According to the report, NDLEA said its operatives uncovered a shrine, guarded by a snake, being used for storing illicit drugs, during an operation in Edo State. The Agency in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, added that its operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, hidden behind wallpapers and fetish objects used for drug storage. It further noted that methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743kg among others, were recovered from the shrine.
To be cont’d
King Onunwor
The persistent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue. These conflicts, often, over resources like land and water, have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people, deep-seated mistrust between communities and insecurity. Herders, traditionally nomadic, move their livestock in search of grazing land and water. Farmers, on the other hand, require the same resources for their crops. This competition often leads to clashes, especially in areas where land is becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. As these clashes intensify, there has been a growing call for sustainable solutions. Two weeks ago, President Bola Tinubu took a bold step towards tackling the issue by inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms and creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee which has the president as the chairman and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega as the deputy chairman has the mandate to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain as well as propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers, ensuring the security and economic well-being of Nigerians.The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was part of the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee. Part of the 21 recommendations submitted to the president include: “This agenda should include the establishment and resuscitation of grazing reserves as suggested by many experts and well-meaning Nigerians and other methods of land utilisation.
“Create the Ministry of Livestock Resources in line with practice in many other West African countries. In the alternative, Federal and State Governments should expand the scope of existing Departments of Livestock Production to address the broader needs of the industry,” among others. Experts in the agricultural sector have posited that the livestock industry can create millions of jobs directly in farming, processing, and distribution, and indirectly in related sectors like feed production, veterinary services, and marketing. It provides livelihoods for rural populations, helping to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas. It also increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings through the exports of livestock and livestock products such as meat, dairy, wool and leather.
According to them, a well-funded livestock industry supports the growth of agro-processing sectors, such as meat packing, dairy processing, and leather manufacturing, adds value to raw products and creates additional economic activity as well as stimulates the development of supply chains, including logistics, packaging, and retail, contributing to broader economic growth. It enhances economic resilience by diversifying the agricultural sector and providing a buffer against crop failures or other agricultural shocks and many more. Some other agriculturists have also opined that the livestock industry in Nigeria is currently underdeveloped and that by the creation of the ministry of livestock development will open up the industry which will be a huge money spinner for Nigeria.
Reports have shown that a Livestock Ministry can play a pivotal role in mitigating conflicts between farmers and herders by implementing policies and programmes aimed at fostering coexistence and sustainable resource management. The Ministry can work towards clearly demarcating grazing routes and farming areas. This would reduce instances of trespassing and accidental crop destruction, a common flashpoint for conflict. While introducing rotational grazing systems can ensure that land is used sustainably, preventing overgrazing and land degradation, establishing water points and boreholes specifically for livestock can reduce competition for water resources. Similarly, promoting the development of pasturelands through reseeding and controlled burns can improve grazing conditions.
According to a veterinary doctor, Dr Andrew Obadiah, by providing training for herders on sustainable livestock practices and for farmers on conflict resolution, both parties can understand the importance of coexistence. He said that extension services of the ministry can offer advice on improving livestock health and productivity, reducing the need for large herds and extensive grazing. “Setting up local committees involving both farmers and herders to mediate disputes can provide a platform for dialogue and peaceful resolution. Encouraging community-based conflict early warning systems can help prevent clashes before they escalate”, he emphasised.For Mrs. Stella Ugwu, a farmer, having a ministry dedicated to the development of the livestock industry can help in diversifying income sources for both farmers and herders and in turn reduce dependence on land.
”For instance, promoting agro-pastoralism can provide farmers with livestock and herders with agricultural produce”, she explained, adding that providing incentives for adopting sustainable practices, such as subsidies for fodder production or crop insurance, can ease economic pressures. Ugwu was however of the opinion that the creation of a new ministry to handle livestock affairs was uncalled for, since the job can effectively be done by the Technical and Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security and its equivalent on the states level.In some countries, the establishment of a Livestock Ministry or similar bodies has shown promising results. For example, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture includes a dedicated department for livestock which has successfully implemented programmes to improve pastoral livelihoods and reduce conflicts.
In Kenya, the establishment of the National Drought Management Authority has helped manage resources better, thus reducing clashes between herders and farmers during dry seasons.The president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Othman Ngelzarma, sees the Ministry of Livestock Development achieving the same feat for Nigeria in the near future. He told newsmen that, “MACBAN expresses its deepest appreciation to the Federal Government for creating a ministry of livestock to unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy and create qualitative and productive jobs across the value chain to improve the Nigerian economy. With this development, MACBAN believes the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, the Middle Belt Forum took a different view of the proposed Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was not enough to sustainably resolve the decades-long farmers-herders crisis in the country. According to the National President of the association, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, what is needed to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes is a deliberate action by regulatory bodies and the government to stop criminal elements from carrying out deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians, mainly farmers. Hear him: “If the reason for creating the Ministry is to stop clashes, I think it is wrong because all of these attacks and killings that are happening have nothing to do with conflicts between farmers and herders. “Farmers have never connived at any given time to go and attack herders, but rather, criminals who happen to be Fulani gang up and attack farmers, kill, maim and chase them out of their ancestral homes.
“Then, the Fulani will come and occupy them. So, it is more about invasion, criminality, and terrorism. And the majority of those they hire to do these evils are not even those who have cattle. So, a deliberate action has to be taken by the government against the perpetrators, which will address the criminality.” Mr. Pogu suggested that the government should adopt ranching for productivity and enduring peace between the pastoralists and farmers in particular and the entire country in general.While the establishment of a Livestock Ministry presents a viable solution, it is not without challenges. Funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption can hamper its effectiveness. Additionally, deeply ingrained cultural practices and mistrust between farmers and herders can be difficult to overcome.
Critics argue that without a holistic approach that includes land reform, climate change adaptation, and broader economic development, a Livestock Ministry alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, it must work in tandem with other governmental and non-governmental bodies to ensure comprehensive solutions. “A dedicated Livestock Ministry, with its focus on sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and economic incentives, offers a promising avenue to address the root causes of these clashes. However, its success depends on effective implementation, adequate funding, and the cooperation of all stakeholders involved. With the right strategies and commitment, devoid of any political or selfish interest, it can play a crucial role in fostering peace and prosperity in affected regions”, they advised.
Calista Ezeaku