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Niger: Ghana opposition tears ECOWAS apart *Its panic action by scared visionless leaders *Read full statement
Stop ECOWAS’ Aggression Against Niger
The Socialist Movement of Ghana calls on ECOWAS Heads of State to withdraw their threat of military action to reinstate former President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger.
War benefits nobody in West Africa
The ECOWAS threat is a strategic mistake. Predictably, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali have indicated that they will treat any attack on Niger as an attack on their countries and respond accordingly. In other words, ECOWAS’ adventurism has already split the sub-Region and could overnight escalate the political crisis in Niger to an existential crisis for the entire sub-Region – destroying millions of lives and hamper production of goods and services with severe ramifications for the entire continent.
Military intervention cannot solve Niger’s crisis. Bazoum’s overthrow is only one minor expression of Niger’s crisis. The real crisis is underdevelopment. Despite its fabulous gold, hydrocarbons and uranium resources, Niger is one of the poorest countries on earth. This is because France has plundered the country ruthlessly for over a century using bankrupt local elites to repress dissent and to play ethnic and religious communities off against each other and frustrate popular organisation. Niger’s neocolonial crisis deepened when NATO destroyed Libya in 2011, encouraging hardened Islamist fighters from Central Asia to infiltrate and destabilise the Sahel-Sahara region and militarizing and “Islamizing” existing communal problems. This created a pretext for renewed Western intervention in the sub-Region – as saviours. Nigeriens have responded magnificently to the long-term crisis with popular struggles for social justice, development, and dignity. Organised Labour, the Gender movement, Youth organizations, intellectuals, and the religious establishment have challenged the status quo for many years and been ruthlessly repressed by the Nigerien State led, most recently, by Bazoum and backed by France. A military intervention will not wash away this history or the complex web of social conflict it has created. ECOWAS guns will not assist Nigeriens to clarify and determine how they will organise and pursue national development. Guns will only deepen the underlying crisis of foreign exploitation and underdevelopment that Niger suffers. ECOWAS military action will deepen Nigeriens’ suffering and set their economic and social development back even further.
An ECOWAS military intervention will also not advance the long-term well-being of other West Africans. Niger’s story differs only by degree from that of the rest of the subregion. West Africa remains one of the poorest and most troubled regions in the world. Every suffering war will bring to Niger will be replicated and amplified throughout the sub-region with unforetold consequences. The signals from Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea suggest that the integrity of ECOWAS itself is at risk. An ECOWAS war also enables Jihadi forces to strengthen their military and ideological campaign across the Region.
A war will also have national level consequences as well. For example, it is unlikely that ECOWAS soldiers will want to risk their lives to restore another bankrupt political regime. Military deployment will be the straw that breaks the back of the camel of “stability” in many West African countries. It could provoke mutinies, and accelerate, rather than halt, the wave of coups d’etat the region is Experiencing.
War Benefits Imperialism!
The real beneficiaries of an ECOWAS attack on Niger are Western Imperialist forces. France is struggling to sustain generations of the cruel plunder and oppression that West Africans have rejected. Without Nigerien uranium French electricity costs will rise significantly plunging that country into deeper crisis. EU dependency on Russian uranium (which it has not so far dared to impose sanctions on) will increase. Of course the EU is fully subordinate to the United States, in its aggression against strategic rivals China and Russia. As it can no longer compete commercially the US seeks to exclude these countries’ access to African resources through military force in alliance with backward sociopolitical elites. The US has established military bases across all West Africa including for example the infamous “Niger Air Base 201” near Agadez which is the largest military drone base in the world nominally owned by the Nigerien military but completely controlled by the US and capable of launching attacks across the entire region. On the one hand, developments in Niger threaten US hegemonic interests. But on the other hand Niger presents an opportunity for the US to consolidate its control over West Africa’s military. Imperialism will therefore press for military intervention.
ECOWAS governments lack the ability to manage even domestic insurgencies. ECOWAS can only contemplate a Niger expedition because “NATO” will resource and run it. ECOWAS states will in fact contribute only two elements to any military operations. First ECOWAS provides a fig leaf – the media illusion that this is a “legitimate” democratic West Africa intervention to restore democracy (and not just another US or French invasion of a struggling Third World country). Second, ECOWAS provides cannon-fodder – expendable African soldiers that save the US Government from having to account for the deaths of thousands of Americans. In all material strategic and operational respects this will be an invasion to re-establish colonial rule in West Africa.
What is ECOWAS Leadership’s agenda?
Why are ECOWAS Heads of State shamelessly fronting for US and French imperialism? ECOWAS leaders are willing to front Imperialist conquest because they are desperate and trapped in neocolonialism. Our leaders are firm accomplices in foreign exploitation and oppression. Our leaders have not for example raised concern about the squalor, lack of basic amenities, or exposure of children to deadly radiation that the French capital imposes on the inhabitants of uranium mining towns. Our leaders have not protested the numbers of innocent citizens killed by US and French troops in their so-called counter-insurgency operations. Rather our leaders have forced through laws granting US troops full immunity for crimes committed on our soils – essentially ceding our sovereignty to foreign militaries.
Our leaders have fully supported dishonorable ploys to amend national constitutions to extend term limits to shield themselves from accountability. Our leaders have for years ignored or perpetrated arbitrary arrests and detention without charge or trial in violation of our constitutions. Our leaders have collapsed our national economies with unpayable debts, fiscal indiscipline, profligate spending, and accelerated transfer of wealth to the colonial metropoles. Having plunged us into crisis our leaders have fled back cap-in-hand to the IMF for bailouts conditioned on deepening the policy measures responsible for our suffering in the first place – austerity measures that grind working people into the dust and accelerate outflows of the wealth from our resources and labour. West Africans are no longer impressed by the theatre of periodic elections. West Africans know that these are simply exercises in ego, empty promises, vote-buying, rigging, elite violence, and whitewashing by pliant, partisan judiciaries. Our leaders own bankruptcy – is the source of the wave of revolts and military take-overs across the subregion.
Following their mismanagement and abuse of their citizens’ fundamental development and human rights, the gathering in Abuja that threatened Niger with invasion was really a bunch of scared men, who having lost all moral or political legitimacy now seek to use military force to protect their privileged positions. “ECOWAS Heads of State” do not speak for West Africa. They cannot commit our youth to fight and die in the defence of hollow legalistic “constitutionalism” and elite vanity.
The Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG) rejects the positions of ECOWAS Heads of State. And we will campaign against any ECOWAS mobilisation for war on Niger. We call on all progressive
organizations and forces in West Africa and especially the West African Peoples Organisation (WAPO) to also condemn the recklessness of West African leaders and work to stop any such mobilisation.
What West Africa needs is to stop the Islamic insurgency in the region and hold our leaders accountable for the mess they have created and sustainably end the growing hunger facing our people. West Africa does not need war and our people are tired of our neo-colonial leaders and their Machinations.
Kwesi Pratt jnr
SOCIALIST MOVEMENT OF GHANA (SMG)
August 2, 2023
The kids bulldozed into the room at exactly 12 midnight today, April 21st, with the birthday song dancing and thanking God for the gift of another year for the Mummy General of the House.
A woman who holds my breadth and who has changed my life for good. She is organised, creative and a manager of repute. She has kept the House on course throughout this last 25 years of our union and seven years after my mum decided to travel.
I respect her intelligence and commitment to the growth of the union. I can’t thank God enough for the privilege to have her as my soul mate. In my several times of crisis of direction and choice, she has come handy with rich counsel and worthy advice.
Not once, not twice, has she saved the House from disgrace and ridicule. I salute her commitment to a flourishing marital life, her love for my children and relations, and her leadership qualities. A viteous woman, prayer warrior, and counsellor.
On behalf of the House of Louis of Umuozoke, Umufele, Ibute Amaeke Ngwo of Enugu State which I presently head, I pray that God will continue to bless and honour this woman of inestimable value, the support base and motivating spirit behind our success story.
Ebuka, Dera, Chigo, Chinwe, Ebube and I celebrate and honour you today and always. Rise and shine for your God is alive and will continue to be there for you. Pls spare a prayer for her and thank God for her life.
For Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s President – 2010-2015 – making peace – an attribute which he demonstrated by becoming the first Nigerian at that level to be voted out of power – will remain his major life’s pursuit on earth till his last breath.
The former Governor of Bayelsa State and later Vice President, had made history and gained national and international acclaim when he saved a troubled Nigeria from anxiety by throwing in the towel to acknowledge defeat at the 2015 presidential election that pitted him against Muhammadu Buhari, President – 2015-2023.
He pledged to continue do more by devoting his life to the promotion of peace and service to humanity in the country and across the globe, before the gathering on Sunday in Abuja at a reception organised by the “Friends of Dr Goodluck Jonathan” on his receiving the 2025 prestigious Sunhak Global Peace Prize Award in Seoul, South Korea.
The former President, who said stressed that it had always been his desire to impact lives and promote peace in his space, added: “I wouldn’t say much, but only to thank you and to reassure you that my commitment to peace will continue. I will continue to do my little best until the last day I live on earth. I believe that’s the only way I can serve God, by serving man.”
Jonathan said that though he suffered while growing up as a child because of his humble background, he always felt sad seeing people suffering or seeing a country going through crisis.
The former governor of Bayelsa added that it was his desire to see that no Nigerian suffer any lack, even though it was not so easy or possible for any president to achieve that.
“That has been my fear, and that was why I was very reluctant when I was approached to come to the centre, to be a Vice President. I said, look, Bayelsa is a small state. Let me see what I can do with this small state, whether I can make significant changes, but today here am I.”
Jonathan, while appreciating the organisers of the Sunhak Global Peace Prize Award for counting him worthy, saying, he never expected it, also expressed delight at the reception for the great honour, even though he initially declined it.
“I also appreciate all those who attended this reception. I have listened to the comments from all of you, and I can only say thank you for those good words. They are quite encouraging,” he said.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), in 2023, who was the Chairman of the occasion, said that Nigeria would continue to celebrate Jonathan for the sacrifices he had made to make the country peaceful, added that everybody who knew what the former President represented and the hope he had brought to Nigeria’s democracy, would not fail to celebrate him.
His words: “There is no special day to celebrate this award other than today, Easter Day, which is a day of sacrifice. We will continue to celebrate you for the sacrifice you made for this country to be at peace. You have put in a lot of effort to ensure there is peace in Nigeria, Africa and the world as a whole.”
Azibaola Robert, Managing Director of Kakatar Group, who initiated the occasion as the Chief Host, explained that the friends of the former President found it worthy to celebrate him for the global recognition, describing him as someone who has a strong passion for peace.
Stressing that the event was an appreciation of the pattern of life that Jonathan had lived and for the impact he had shown as a politician and a statesman, he said Jonathan, as a brother, had created a big character that is very hard to step in for because every day there is a new lesson to gain from his presence, describing him as a God-sent not only to his Bayelsa people but to Nigeria and the rest of the world.
Hassan Tukur, a former Principal Private Secretary to the former President, while speaking glowingly about him, while describing the Award as well-deserved, said Jonathan had demonstrated his love for peace during the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Guinea-Bissau and many other countries across the globe during and after his tenure as president of Nigeria.
He recalled how Jonathan led ECOWAS, AU and UN to restore peace in Côte d’Ivoire in the aftermath of the crisis that followed the disputed 2010 presidential runoff election between former President, Laurent Gbagbo and his former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara.
Hear him: “Without President Jonathan’s intervention, the peace wouldn’t have been possible. He saved lives, he saved people, and he saved the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Today, the country is one of the most peaceful countries in this sub-region.
“There was also a crisis in Mali when Jonathan was in office. He was the only President that took his plane and went to Mali in the middle of a crisis, sitting down there for 12 hours negotiating with all the various interested parties. Up to date, the Malians are grateful that he was the only sitting president who visited their country in the height of their crisis and addressed their problems.”
Also citing how the former President saved Kenya from going to war that would have claimed many lives in that country, Tukur said that even after leaving office, the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation had continued working hard to promote peace in the region.
“This honour is not only to former president Jonathan and his family but to Nigerians and the country. He is a humanist. He is a man of peace. He is a man of integrity. And he is a man of foresight,” he said.
Former Minister of Information Labaran Maku described Jonathan as a patriot and transformer, in which the country would continue to cherish his legacy and good examples.
“All Nigerians are delighted in this award because Mr President, for all his days in power, both as governor of Bayelsa State and president of Nigeria, upheld the ethics of peace and national transformation.
“It is not easy to find in our clan, around this continent, a leader that will say the presidency of a nation is not worth the blood of the citizen.
“That statement was epochal, and it stood him up. In 2015, he made a national sacrifice; he refused the fight. He handed back government, the first time in Nigeria that someone would lose an election and refuse to go to court.
“May the significance of this event, its impact on our nation, and our search for peace in all communities in Nigeria yield fruits with this recognition from faraway South Korea,” he said.
Some of the dignitaries at the events included Dame Patience Jonathan; King Amalate Turner, the paramount ruler of the Oloibiri Kingdom in Bayelsa State; and Olori Opeoluwa Ogunwusi, wife of the Oni of Ife, who conducted the toast.
A major transformation is coming in the life of Alabi Quadri, the teenage boy who became popular after he was pictured standing directly in front of the convoy of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), during his campaign in Lagos.
In what appears a positive stroke of fate, the young boy who left the closed walls of Kirikiri Custodial Centre in Lagos, last week after spending three months, in which he said he laboured from morning till evening evacuating human wastes from his cell, has both physical and financial succour in exchange for the horrendous ordeal.
Outside his release from prison, Quadri, is now being moved from Amukoko, a dingy slum in parts of Ajegunle, one the suburbs in Lagos to a better accommodation in the more developed area in the nation’s commercial city, alongside his mother.
Inebehe Effiong, fiery lawyer and human rights activist, who revealed this positive development on Monday, said more than N10million has also been raised so far for the boy and his mother by kind-hearted individuals, who heard of the boy’s ordeal and who were intent on giving him a new lease of life.
A guest of Morning Brief, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, Effiong, who broke the news of the arrest, detention and eventual arraignment of the boy by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command on the allegation or armed robbery, also dismissed police claims that he was already an adult.
Benjamin Hundeiyin, spokesman of the command, had at the weekend, insisted in a statement that Quadri, who was freed by a Lagos Magistrate Court, sitting in Apapa on the advice of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), was not only linked to the crime of armed robbery but had attained 18 years and therefore an adult.
But debunking the two claims, Effiong who had initially indicated his willingness to approach the court with a suit to demand for N100million compensation for the damages caused the lad, insisted that the police merely upscaled his age to 18 years to enable the prosecution, even though he is only 17.
Effiong revealed this during an interview on Monday with Channels TV, where he and Alabi were both guests.
The lawyer who commended Adetola Olorunfemi the Magistrate who freed Quadri and Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who gave the advice, demanded the investigation of Ismaila Ulaniro, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Amukoko and Odigbe Samuel, an Inspector of Police, for allegedly framing the boy up and sending him to trial even when they were aware he was innocent.
Described their actions as part of an “evil, sinister, oppressive, and corrupt scheme” to frame a teenager for armed robbery, instigated by rogue Area Boys: “The boy sitting next to me, Quadri Alabi, as you know, went viral in 2023 during one of Peter Obi’s campaign tours. He spontaneously jumped in front of the convoy, raised his hand, and the photo went viral. That moment changed his life. Donations were made, and he gained some popularity.
“Unfortunately, with that fame came harassment. Local area boys began extorting him, saying he hadn’t ‘settled’ them. They even told his mother to buy a cow, cook rice, and throw a feast for the community. When she refused, the threats continued.
“This is actually the second time these same individuals, with support from the Amukoko Police, targeted him. The first time, he was quietly detained. The second time, in January, he was returning home from work when he was arrested by area boys, specifically known as Leggy and Baba Waris, who accused him of ignoring them despite the money he had received from Peter Obi.
“They handed him over to the police, claiming he was involved in a street fight. His mother was told the same. She even confronted one of the area boys, who admitted it was about the money. Shockingly, he was detained for a full week before being taken to court on January 27. The DPO, CSP Ismaila Ulaniro, kept him in custody illegally during this period.
“They finally took him to the Magistrate Court in Apapa, alongside four adult men he had never met before. The police accused them of armed robbery said to have occurred on January 22 at 10 p.m. No identification parade was conducted, and there was no evidence linking him to the crime.
“The police falsely claimed he was 18 in court documents. Why? Because if they had said he was 17, the court would have treated the matter differently—possibly not even remanding him in a regular prison. The magistrate noted this during the hearing but said the only information provided showed him as 18, so she had no reason to question it.”
Alabi himself recounted the experience: “I was just at the entrance of my house when the police came and arrested me. The area boys pointed me out. At the station, I was the youngest there. I was locked up with older men. They asked me what I did, and I said nothing. Before the arrest, the area boys had already taken my phone and the money in my pocket.”
Regarding the donations, Effiong added: “I can confirm that we’ve raised over N10 million in just four days for Quadri. The goal is to relocate him from Amukoko and to secure a source of income for his mother, who is a petty trader. This shows the strength of the Nigerian spirit.”
The Lioness of House of Louis climbs another floor
Till my last breath, I’ll make peace – Jonathan *I almost rejected VP offer
Millions flow for Quadri, Obi’s teenage supporter *Relocates from Ajegunle
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