New York, June 1, 2007— During a political science class at Lehman College in the 1980s, one Professor Bosworth lectured his student on the constitution, United Nations, forms of government operating in various key parts of the world , leadership and international affairs. He easily dissected the various forms of governments in Europe, Soviet Union, North America and Australia. Far East Asia, South America, and particularly Africa are quite more complicated and he warned his students to have open mind in order to grasp the message in his lecture.

President Umaru Yar’Adua of Nigeria. The first ever ‘servant-leader’, a civilian version of coup de’tat. Swearing in on May 29, 2007 was shunned by civilized western leaders.

The Prof. imbibed on his students that there are two main principal forms of governments, namely; governments by De jure (by constitution) and governments by De facto (whether by right or not). According to the Prof. one could find government by De jure in civilized parts of the world such as Europe, Soviet Union, North America and Australia; while in Far East Asia, South America, and particularly Africa one could find all sorts of stuff that could best be categorized as De facto governments.

De facto government was described as mostly illegal and corrupt beyond imagination and derived by whatever means other that the constitution; coups de’tat, revolution, anarchism, autocracy, dictatorship, etc. The bottom line being that those leaders muscle themselves into the seat of state power and are holding it firmly and ready to go to any length to defend it, including the usual associated mass repression. Once in office they turn state resources into their personal property.

Young students questioned why the United Nations and the world, particularly the superpowers would allow such illegality to stand. The Prof. characteristically smiled sheepishly and danced around the question. At the end he encouraged interesting student to take the next class on: Super-power Diplomacy: National Interest and Foreign Policy.

However, the Prof. cautioned that some, especially young students may discover few double standards and hypocrisy in super-power foreign policies when national interests are involved. He concluded that despite the competition for influence and domination in world affairs, the superpowers in both East and West have a common-ground understanding that, third world leaders no matter how they get into office would be left alone as long as the safety of superpower citizens, their investments and steady flow of resources, essentially, mineral resources and oil are assured.

In April 14, 2007 Nigeria had election in which voting generally did not take place, according to reports. All the foreign and national observers, including Nigerian government officials have admitted that any election barely took place in April 2007 in Nigeria. Yet, Nigerian government of President Matthews Okikiola Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo ignored calls for Interim Government to conduct a credible election, instead handed power to what has been described as an arranged puppet.

On May 29, 2007, Nigeria swears in new government: President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, State Governors and Federal Lawmakers after an election that never took place. The Chief Justice of the federation administered the oath of offices. The head of the army and other security agencies lined up and pledged obedience, support and readiness to carry out orders; lessens of Nuremberg notwithstanding.

Very few African leaders attended the inauguration boycotted by every western leader. Super-power presence was zero, third world various blocks’ presence was zero, international alliances and ideologues’ presence was zero, key players on world affairs presence was zero, even the brother in Diaspora Andy Young was not seen, either. Local Nigeria political, civil society and social and economic leaders were not seen at the inauguration. Meanwhile Nigerian leaders whose regime just expired are escaping and fleeing into foreign land in droves.

Something strange is on the air while superpower diplomats negotiate Nigeria’s future behind closed doors.

In his inaugural speech, President Yar’Adua said his government would review the electoral programmes in Nigeria with a view to correcting the anomalies.

“Over the past eight years, Nigerians have reached a national consensus in at least four areas; to deepen democracy and the rule of law, build an economy driven primarily by the private sector, not government, display zero tolerance for corruption in all its forms, and finally restructure and staff our government to ensure efficiency and good governance”

On his seven-point programmed, Yar’Adua harped on the need to rebuild physical infrastructure and human capital as a means of keeping Nigeria going.

He said his government would focus on accelerating the growth of the nation’s economy and other reforms. He said his economic programmes would revolve round creation of jobs, reduction of poverty and inflation rates and with emphasis on reduction of exchange rates and building of infrastructure.

Other promises include: dramatic improvement in power generation, transmission and distribution; mitigate the tension in the Niger Delta, “The Niger Delta commands our urgent collaborate with other African states to reduce conflicts in a manner that would free the continent from chains of poverty and misery”; rule with the fear of God even as he declared himself as a servant to all. He said “I offer myself as a servant-leader, I will be a listener and doer, and serve with humility.”

Well, what former President Olusegun Obasanjo did is not new to African continent. Before Obasanjo, there was Nyerere.

Nyereism; a system whereby the aged African autocratic leader-for-life installs his puppet in a sham election before leaving (retiring) from office and continued ruling from his retirement farm in his village. Later, some Nyereism copy-cat had backfired, though.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

Obasanjo want the world to believe that he is a complicated fellow. However, some have described Obasanjoism as a phenomena whereby an African leader considered by credible international organizations and institutions to be one of the most corrupt and brutal regimes in West Africa sub-region ruled for 8 years without clear mission and vision leaving the country in economic, social and political shambles after failed attempt to manipulate the constitution to install himself President-for-life.

The leader retired to an ultra-modern mechanized fortress farm with porch suites and facilities located in Sango-Ota, an area 30 minutes to the nations’ nerve-center. This sounds more like ‘stepping aside’, to borrow a phrase made popular in Nigeria by Army General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).

President Olusegun Obasanjo has been described by some as African version of South America’s Pinochet. Time shall tell.

Today Nigeria, a country of over 150 million people, a country rich in oil and huge mineral deposits, a country making huge money from sales of its oil, but a hopeless country where majority of its people live in poverty below the level of Bangladesh and other poorest of the poor on earth. Its leaders on the other hands live in extreme stupendous opulence with multi-millions of dollars stashed away both at home and in foreign countries.

Niger Delta area militants/fighters

Under Obasanjo, Nigeria became a country where hostage taking has become one of the fastest growing and booming industries in the Niger Delta area. The target of this industry at the moment being workers and citizens of civilized parts of the world such as Europe, Soviet Union, North America and Australia. These workers and citizens of superpower nations appear to be the high value target or the ‘commodity’ of this booming industry.

Now, that takes us back to Prof. Bosworth’s political science class; “the superpowers in both East and West have a common-ground understanding that, third world leaders no matter how they get into office would be left alone as long as the safety of superpower citizens, their investments and steady flow of resources, essentially, mineral resources and oil are assured.”

Frankly speaking, Mr. Yar'Adua has been saying the right stuff. Going by his remarks and inaugural speech, (“I offer myself as a servant-leader”) it looks like ‘We have seen the Messiah we are waiting for; It appears that a Solomon has come to judgment’ except the question of how he got there remains unanswered.

On the other hands, Nigeria is a country of military coups de’tat. The west and Nigerians welcome those coups deta’t. The west and Nigerians never chased the military ‘boys’ away. In-fact; they did not even chase Abacha away. Rather, some western leaders including lawmakers and civil society leaders and their Nigerian counterparts lined up for ‘strategic visits and useful discussions’ with Abacha at Aso Rock, Abuja, ‘collected gifts’ and left the Army General with broad smiles. There were some reports that those visitors got few million dollars richer after each visit. Abacha and other Nigerian coupists apparently understood the superpower interests and dynamics and toed the line.

Therefore, there is doubt whether anyone (the west and Nigeria) is going to do anything different this time around, especially, as long as the safety of superpower citizens, their investments and steady flow of resources, essentially, mineral resources and oil are assured.

Freed American hostages: Larry Plake (left), Mike Rousel, Chris Gay and Kevin Faller, after they were handed over by militants to the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, in Warri on 5/30/07. They were seized on May 8, 2007.

Shortly after Yar’Adua’s inauguration speech, Africans In America News Watch correspondent had a brief chat with a caller who wants to be identified as Eze Kabiyesi Alhaji, (EKA for short). EKA stated that President Yar’Adua was sinfully honest in his “I offer myself as a servant-leader” speech. EKA believes the “I offer myself as a servant-leader” speech was a code message. EKA went ahead to decode what the new President meant by “servant-leader”; servant to former President Obasanjo and the army generals that installed him; and leader by virtue of his new title to ensure the purpose, mission and interest of the kingmakers are protected. Asked how he knows this for sure, EKA responded, “I am a quintessential Nigeria”.

Whether De Jure (according to constitution) or De Facto (end justifies the means), Mr. Umaru Yar'Adua is the man of the hour, he is the king at the castle, at this moment.

One final reference to Prof. Bosworth political science class, “the superpowers in both East and West have a common-ground understanding that, third world leaders no matter how they get into office would be left alone as long as the safety of superpower citizens, their investments and steady flow of resources, essentially, mineral resources and oil are assured.”

God save mother Africa.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria
May God abundantly continue to bless America.