Niger coup is an attempt to end neocolonialism – Ezeife
By Prosper Okoye
The First Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has called upon all Africans to strategize on how to free Africa from the shackles of Neocolonialism.
In an exclusive interview yesterday with DAILY TIMES, Ezeife, also known as the Okwadike Igboukwu, stated that the recent military ousting of Niger Republic President, Mohamed Bazoum, could be regarded as an attempt by frustrated Nigeriens to take back their country from the west.
“From what I read, Bazoum wasn’t interested in the people of Niger. He was interested in the money he made from the French,” he said.
Furthermore, Okwadike said most African countries are impoverished by the west.
“Take Niger Republic, for example, only a tiny percent of the world market price for Uranium is being paid by France to Niger for taking this mineral.
“If you listen to Almustapha, who was ADC to Abacha, you will find that Boko Haram was planted in Nigeria. And he says it with authority.
“These people discovered many valuable minerals in Borno State; and they started burning Christian churches in areas where Muslims are most, and burning mosques in areas where Christians are many to create the impression that it was a religious battle between Christians and Muslims.
“But their motive was to make us look away from them. They made us look away, blaming one another, while they went to dig very valuable minerals.
“Today, we know that neocolonialism is the problem. France is worse than Britain.
“All France’s former colonies are still using French money, and they are made to deposit in Paris banks.
“If you come to Nigeria, you will find ethnic and religious divisions. Take a look at the north!
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“I am happy that Peter Obi toured the north very well. He pointed out the poverty in the north; he also pointed out the surplus land resources, and the potential to have serious agricultural development in the region.
“But the British who colonized us control who should be in power in Nigeria. They are harvesting from Nigeria, and only trying to separate us from each other,” he added.
Ezeife also pointed out crass corruption and nepotism as factors that also inhibit Nigeria’s development.
“There is no country endowed like Nigeria, whether it is in material, mineral, plants, animal or human resources. We have many talents from many tribes but somehow we have failed in leadership. And that’s the main problem.
“All the insecurity, all the kidnapping, and everything negative happening in the country are as a result of ineffective leadership; unintelligent leadership. And the lack of merit in the ranking of the people.
“God’s assignment to Nigeria, which made him give us such abundant resources, is that Nigeria should raise the dignity and respect of blacks on earth. For that reason, he made it possible for us to develop into a superpower among the nations of the world. And we should have a say on how the world is governed or run.
“But instead of raising the dignity and respect of blacks on earth, we are raising shame. We are generating shame in the faces of all blacks.
“It is a shame that tiny western countries ban Nigerians from coming in. Anywhere that you go outside Nigeria, you are suspected as a Nigerian.
“The most important thing for every black man to consider is how to take back our country.
“So all black young educated people should think of how to we go back to our values.
“We don’t have to abandon the church or Christianity. But we can adjust it to our tradition, and not just sweep away our values and succumb to Christianity alone.
“We believe Jesus Christ is mighty, we believe in God. The Bible we read and believe much of it; but from now on, we should see how to marry the Bible with our tradition. Pick up what is good from our tradition and add to our religion.
“An Igbo man avoids killing anyone. An Igbo man does not engage in anything bad, like cutting off another person’s head with a machete.
“But today, all things go. Our young men will take drugs, and go naked in the open. Kill people to make money (yahoo-yahoo).
“All these things that are making us look bad in the eyes of the world came from Western culture.
“There is an urgent need for African leaders to come together, create a think tank to make plans on how to defeat neocolonialism.
“To take over our traditions. To take over our lands. To take over our minerals so we can begin producing.
“Right now, virtually all the minerals are taken out there, all the agricultural raw materials are taken to Europe. And then we buy them back from them at a manufacturer price. Look at the case of petrol.
“During the presidency of late Yar’ Adua and Jonathan, I wrote about how to use the crude oil we have to get the industries we don’t have. But I wasn’t even clever enough in those days because I thought getting good ideas and giving them to leaders was good enough for them to implement even when it doesn’t suit their personal interests.
“Like in petrol subsidy, people were bringing empty vessels, and sometimes just paper and carrying away money,” he lamented.
Further on the Niger military coup, Okwadike noted that the juntas were civilized.
“In some places, they would have killed the President outrightly. Look at the popularity of the coup, there is one pro rally in a stadium, the heads were too many.
“What is democracy? Is it the suffering of the people, inflicted by the people? That is not democracy!” He said.
