Colonialism, Force and Peace By Dayo Sobowale

The views of three personalities and leaders on the above topic shape our discussion today . They are the Catholic Pope Francis , the outspoken Governor of Kaduna State Nasir El Rufai and the veteran PM of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu . The Pope spoke on a visit to war ridden and perennially politically volatile Congo Kinshasa . El Nasir voiced an opinion on the opposition of some’ elements ‘ in Aso Rock , Nigeria’s seat of power to the election of APC presidential candidate Jagaban Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president of Nigeria in this month’s presidential election . Netanyahu spoke on global peace and the security of his nation Israel in a very educative and sizzling interview with CNN this week .

On the first day of his visit to Congo Kinshasa the Pope condemned what he called ‘ economic colonialism ‘ in Africa noting pontifically in the presidential palace in Kinshasa – ‘After political colonialism , an equally enslaving economic colonialism was unleashed . This country , largely plundered , therefore fails to take sufficient advantage of its immense resources’ . The Pope then warned western nations and former colonial nations and internal colonialists , in a rare , shrilly admonition , ‘’ Take your hands off Democratic Republic of Congo , take your hands off Africa . Stop suffocating Africa; it is not a mine to be exploited nor a land to be plundered ‘

While one may condemn the role of religion in colonial Africa in that the church was complicit with the colonialists who came with the gun in one hand and the bible in the other , in a manner of ‘ praise the lord and pass the ammunition ‘ , the Pope’s call is benevolent , compunctious and timely . It reminds one of the on going efforts of some American states to make reparations to black Americans on the past and present sufferings and inhuman exploitation of slavery , the labours of which built the huge American nation and prosperous economy .

At a lecture at the prestigious Yoruba Tennis Club Tennis Club Onikan , Lagos given by the running mate of the Jagaban , Kashim Shettima Mustapha last year I asked him a question on why and how Nigerians , having survived the exploitation and slavery of colonialism now have to cope with the colonialism of politicians and their strategy of exclusion of the rest of the society . Shettima replied to my satisfaction that the solution lies in electing his ticket to the presidency of Nigeria in this month’s presidential election . That seemed to be very well on the way till the new , raging fuel shortage , and new currency design cropped up un expectedly to show that in politics nothing comes on a platter of gold . This is where the observation of the governor of Kaduna state , El Rufai comes in handy and is very useful for the APC and its presidential candidate to consummate their ambition of retaining power in this month’s presidential election . El Rufai has exposed the enemy within in Aso Rock and is asking the APC government to put its house in order and not go to sleep in a house with thatched roof while there is fire on the roof top . Which his declaration on ‘ elements ‘ in Aso Rock against Tinubu’s election as president , clearly indicates .

El Rufai went back to history to show that the president is trying to do the right thing but some ‘elements ‘ in Aso Rock are trying to frustrate what the president did quietly when he was a military president , ably assisted then by Tunde Idiagbon and they changed the currency to deal with those hoarding the naira .El Rufai commended the naira redesign policy . According to him – ‘It is a good intention . The president has his right . But doing it at this time within the time allotted does not make any political or economic sense .’ That is the truth and it is coming from the inner circle of the holy of holies of the APC . The party must urgently re – strategise its campaign to face the challenges of the enemy in the high quarters of its party and in its seat of power in order to retain power in this month’s election . That is the pragmatic and bold way to avert the real danger of treachery in high places which the El Rufai revelation has unleashed and it is not too late for victory in this month’s election .

However it is in the Netanyahu interview that we see the consummation and complete illustration of the three concepts of the topic of the day . Up till this interview I had respected Netanyahu as a durable and wily politician having been elected six times as PM of his nation. Since I view Israel as a colonial power in the way it treats the Palestinians especially in the occupied territories , I had a scant respect for its many times PM . This interview however increased the respect I have for the Israeli leader profoundly as a world leader who knows his onions in securing his nation and his priorities in doing so .

Netanyahu showed his CNN interviewer in an hour long interview that he was an American like himself and that he has known the present American president for about 40years . He literally mesmerized his interviewer who was looking at his note book before asking questions while Netanyahu spoke brilliantly and incisively , off the cuff on all the questions he was asked . Netanyahu stated his driving priorities , for which he believes has been elected several times in Israel , as ensuring Iran does not have a nuclear arsenal , managing peace with the Palestinians and developing the innovative Israeli economy. He said Iran is his first priority on the security of Israel because that nation wants to destroy Israel and its slogan is ‘ death to Israel and death to America ‘ . He said the culture of Iran is to celebrate death while that of Israel is to celebrate life . On the peace with the Palestinians he advocates what he called judicious use of force as his policy is to ensure the Palestinians do not drive Israel into the sea which is their declared goal . He believes it is better to make peace with bigger or friendlier Arab states as he thinks the Palestinian tail should not be wagging the bigger Arabs with regard to peace deal with Israel . On the huge protests in Israel on his judicial reforms he blamed judicial activism as disrupting the balance of power in Israel where judges appoint themselves .He believes the Russian Invasion of Ukraine was a threat to world peace but he does not want to intervene as there should not be too many cooks in the kitchen in the search for peace although he would consider a role if invited by the US .

While I condemn Israel’s policy as a colonial power with the Palestinians I admire Netanyahu’s fierce patriotism and deep concern for the security of his people and nation . That is what leadership should be about at all times . That type of leadership is what Nigeria needs and that is why I support the call of the Jagaban that Nigerians should arm themselves with their voters cards and go and vote for him as president if only for their security and in spite of the odds , mischief and obstacles in the path of the Emi Lokan journey , on February 25 . A word is enough for the wise.

TheNation

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