THIS IS A PIECE-MEAL APPROACH. AFRICAN HIGH COMMAND IS THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION It is a matter of grave concern that terrorism has spread beyond the confines of Nigeria, to many countries in Africa, thus creating continued fear and danger of violent death and thus making life of innocent people, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short as Thomas Hobbes would say, From Al Shabaab in Somalia/Kenya through BokoHaram and the Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria , to Al Queda affiliates in Sahelian Maghreb, covering Niger, Mali, Sudan etc, there are incessant and barbaric killings of children, youths, women, old men and defenseless citizens, in thousands. Terrorism has become threat to peaceful co-existence, in all these countries. Therefore the fear that grips Nigeria in spearheading fostering bilateral agreement with France, Cameroons and 3 other neighboring countries with a view to containing the menace of insurgency of fanatic and fundamental Islamic terrorists in all ramifications, is a genuine concern and good initiative. However, it is my considered opinion that the arrangement is like scratching the monstrous problem on the head , and a piece-meal approach which may guarantee us lasting peace. It would be recalled that the call by late Dr Kwame Nkrumah to create African High Command (AHC), in the early 1960s, was among other reasons, to be able to have a standing African Military, to intervene in any part of the continent where there may be a threat to peace and security, instead of relying on foreign assistance. Like the President of Nigeria Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has postulated, threat on one member country is a threat on the others , more-so that one African is a brother to other Africans regardless of where they both come from In the current wave of insurrection almost across the continent, the affected countries have individually called on France, Britain and the USA for assistance to no avail. Surprisingly, these NATO Allies have tried to free themselves from intervening in what they consider to be our domestic affairs whereas, they are the ones selling arms and ammunition to these insurgents, in the first place. Besides this, they continue to exploit our resources such as oil and gas to fuel their industries and our raw materials to build their accumulated wealth. With the collaboration of their stooges, they cannibalize our economy, for which our people continue to be impoverished Thus we have remained the donkeys and cows to them. Whereas if there is a standing Military -African High Command-or by whatever name it is called, we will not need to call on on US or invite France to team up with some of the countries affected. All the calamities of the killing of 100000 people in the Yobe, Adammawa and Bornu States of North-East, by Boko-Haram and the slaughtering of 200 people in the Kaura Local Government of Kaduna State, as well as the sacking of 67 villages in the Guma Local Government in Benue State, all in Nigeria alone, would not have arisen It is in view of the foregoing that I agree with the Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Center for International Affairs (LECIA), Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso, who recently hit the nail right on the head when he called for the creation of an international military establishment not bearing the name of an individual country, to tackle the current wave of revolutionary terrorism in Africa. It will be worth its while if the African Union can revisit this issue urgently, so that we can take our destiny in our hand rather than to keep depending on USA and her West European Allies who have have always wished us divided into economically unviable States which bear no possibility of real development (Dr Kwame Nkrumah at OAU Summit in Cairo on July 19, 1964). It is true that he (Nkrumah made this call over 50 years ago. This not withstanding, now that Africa is virtually under invasion is the time for the birth of the AHC, by the African Union (AU). Like Captain Jack Aubrey the Commander of HMS SURPRISE during the British war with France said, Quick is the word and sharp is the action..... There should be no debate and no debate about this anymore. If AU does not act now we shall perish together,(as Nkrumah also said on May 24, 1963)
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 06:25:26 +0000
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