The abduction, the search, and the inability of the Nigerian Government, and its military apparatus, to rescue the kidnapped 234 Nigerian School girls, has been on the front burners in last 2weeks, with solidarity protest match springing up from all corner of the world.
Needless to delve in the dishonesty and insincerity of Nigerian Government, under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and its members of staff, who are also apparently ill prepared for the unexpected international media scrutiny they have subjected themselves to.
Needless also to point out that Nigeria as a sovereign country, with all the natural and human resources that we are blessed with, has allowed the greed and corruption of a handful, or should I say ‘stealing’ as our President has trivialized it to be, to bring the whole nation to international ridicule.
Needless to say also, that a nation that could successfully execute military expeditions in Liberia, Cote D’voire, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Mali etc, could not find enough resources and intelligence to quell the evils of Boko Haram, right under his own canopy, due to the ineptitude of a few, bringing the whole nation to shame,
This, however, is not the thrust of this article. The main issue to be discussed here is the further gaffe committed by the Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan, when ‘conceding defeat to the Boko Haram menace’, and inviting foreign forces, especially the US Army to come and help him out.
The interests of the US government and its Military apparatus to set up a base dated back to 1993 when there were rumors that they have submarine ships in Lagos harbors and that they were ready to surface to rescue their citizens if there was a civil strife aftermaths of Abiola Election fallout.
Nothing was however heard until the 2noughties when first President Obasanjo, and then later, Late President Umar Musa Yar’adua was approached, for the US Army African Command to be setup, to cover 53 African Countries, except Egypt.
They were roundly rebuffed, first by President Olusegun Obasanjo, and then Late President Umar Musa Yar’adua in 2007.
This does not go down well with the American s who considers Nigeria a very strategic position in African region.
Let’s spend a minute to consider the North East Region where this crisis persists. Borno/Yobe/Adamawa are three large states (by land mass) who borders at least 4 other African countries – Cameroun, Niger, Chad and Central African Republic. All these countries also have further securities and annexes to further northern countries of Libya, Algeria, Mali; NorthEast: Sudan, South Sudan; and Southern Africa: Namibia, Gabon, Angola, Uganda, Congo DR, Congo etc. The whole of Africa is right under Control.
The US Africa Command was a direct fallout of National Security Council Memorandum 46(NSCM/46). This document was signed into law under the Presidential Executive Order in March 1978, it was written by a young man namely Zbigniew Brezinski, who was the National Security Advisor at that time, and is PRESENTLY Barak Obama’s Chief Advisor.
Summary of the Document below:
‘The objective of our policy toward Black Africa is to prevent social upheavals which could radically change the political situation throughout the area. The success or failure of our policy in the region depends on the solution international and internal issues whose importance of the United States is on the increase.
II. A. U.S. INTERESTS IN BLACK AFRICA
A multiplicity of interests influences the U.S. attitude toward black Africa. The most important of these interests can be summarized as follows:
1. POLITICAL
If black African states assume attitudes hostile to the U.S. national interest, our policy toward the white regimes; which is a key element in our relations with the black states, may be subjected by the latter to great pressure for fundamental change. Thus the West may face a real danger of being deprived of access to the enormous raw materials of southern Africa which are vital for our defense needs as well as losing control over the Cape sea routes by which approximately 65% of Middle Eastern oil is supplied to Western Europe.
2. ECONOMIC
Black Africa is increasingly becoming an outlet for U.S. exports and investment. The mineral resources of the area continue to be of great value for the normal functioning of industry in the United States and allied countries. In 1977, U.S. direct investment in black Africa totaled about $1.8 billion and exports $2.2 billion.
New prospect of substantial profits would continue to develop in the countries concerned.
Internationally, damage could be done to the United States by coordinated activity of African states designed to condemn U.S. policy toward South Africa, and initiate discussions on the U.S. racial issue at the United Nations where the African representation constitutes a powerful bloc with about one third of all the votes.
3. Political options
In the context of long-term strategy, the United States cannot afford a radical change in the fundamentals of its African policy, which is designed for maximum protection of national security. In the present case, emphasis is laid on the importance of Black Africa for
U.S. political, economic and military interests. The FBI should mount surveillance operations against Black African representatives and collect sensitive information on those, especially at the U.N., who oppose U.S. policy toward South Africa. The information should include facts on their links with the leaders of the Black movement in the United States, thus making possible at
least partial neutralization of the adverse effects of their activity.
The late President Umar Musa Yar’adua incurred the wraths of the Americans when he single handedly and wisely kicked against the setting up of US Africa Command(AfriComm) in 2007, suggesting then that African countries are allowed to setup their own commands and it is no coincidence therefore that the spates of violence has increased on African soil since then.
Even then, it is not so much as the American Policies toward the African world the baffles, but our own reactionary kneejack actions towards being led to slavery.
President Goodluck Jonathan inactions in the face of terrorism or lack of will to save Nigerians, and by extension, African from the scourge of Boko Haram, has effectively opened the door for the American re-colonization of Africa.
It does not take a deep thinking person to realize that the interest of the Americans is beyond the missing 234 Girls if it counts at all, or the security of lives of Nigerians, or even Africans, but their selfish interest in Africa, as established above. The Americans are interested in only one thing: Energy.
There has been increasing concern from the West about the rise of the Asian oil blocs as well, which makes Africa the last frontier for them to conquer. It is highly imperative that the Americans takes their root in Africa, and implement NSCM/46 before anybody else.
Even when we are crying, we still see through the tears. Accepting that we need outside help to bring back our girls is as failure of our Federal Government, We should roundly condemn this.
Thinking our help comes from the Americans is also a deception that should be condemned. Africans through African Union, and Nigerians should come together to resolve this issue before the Americans, through AfriComm, takes their root, and become a menace.
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Adetayo Adegbemle is a public opinion commentator/analyst, researcher, and the convener of PowerUpNigeria, a Power Consumer Advocacy Group, based in Lagos. (Twitter: @gbemle, @PowerUpNg)
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