By Kayode Emola
A stitch in time they say saves nine but when the ninth is torn, then only God can save the tenth. At the time of writing eight military coups have already taken place in 6 African countries between August 2020 and August 2023. Save for Sudan which was colonised by Britain, the majority of these countries were former French Colonies.
This is not to point an accusing finger at any external influence in countries where these military coups have occurred, as many of their domestic leaders are equally culpable for the suffering of their people. Why has military coup become popular all of a sudden in Africa? Is it because the leaders in Africa have failed to build meaningful infrastructures needed for national development or they are looking for a new overlord for their people.
Many African leaders have built for themselves and their families a huge amount of wealth such that their hundredth generation will not lack at the expense of their citizens. This is causing a forced migration out of Africa to Europe, and other continents, and in most cases in very dangerous circumstances such as traveling through the desert or on small boats across the Mediterranean and English Channel in the UK.
Whilst ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa States) through Nigeria is trying to halt this ugly trend in West Africa by insisting the Niger Republic must return to civil rule, I will say they started too late in the day. This should have been done way back in August 2020 when the military seized power in Mali. It would appear the change of leadership in Nigeria is what is fuelling the reaction of ECOWAS towards Niger.
Whilst the citizens of these countries may be happy that their presidents or military rulers have been ousted from power, this in itself does not translate to a better life for the people. The new cohorts of rulers will milk their countries, and hand over to the same civilians who helped destroy the countries in the first place and the pain and suffering of the people will continue. That is what I call the continuous cycle of hardship and poverty inflicted on the African people.
To be honest, a military coup will never end in Africa until we understand that geographical boundaries do not translate to nationhood in Africa. Especially the boundaries drawn by the colonialists in Europe for the benefit of the Europeans. Likewise, true development will not come to Africa with these crops of rulers created from a corrupt system designed by the Europeans for their own benefit.
What Africa needs now is a deep reflection of what has happened to the continent over the past 500 years during the slave trade. We need to become a continent that is determined to stand on its own two feet and make decisions for Africa for the benefit of Africans. This is what the Pan Africanists of the 1950s and 1960s such as Dr Kwame Nkruma of Ghana were clamouring for to attain true independence in Africa.
Such ideas were quickly extinguished by the European and American governments because a successful Africa would make our abundant natural resources too expensive to buy. Hence, the need to eliminate any ideas, institutions, or individuals that may try to bring about a positive change for their continent of Africa.
The situation of Nigeria is not dissimilar to those of the 6 countries where military coups have already taken place. If care is not taken, Nigeria may be the next in line for a military coup in Africa which should be a deciding moment for the country’s fate.
If a military coup were to occur in Nigeria today which is very possible and likely if the current hardship is anything to write home about. Then, we the Yoruba Nation activist must be ready to declare to the entire world that we do not belong to the country anymore.
We have stated our position unequivocally that the current north and south arrangement is not viable for development on both sides of the divide. This is evident from the mood music coming out from the northern elite that all the juicy positions in government are occupied by southern politicians.
To end this unnecessary dichotomy, the best thing that can happen to Nigeria and indeed the wider African continent is a complete dissolution of these colonial structures called countries in Africa. They are nothing but a marketplace carved out by Europeans for shopping for natural resources for the benefit of their people in Europe and America.
If we truly seek democracy in Africa, then those who claim to be democrats must lead by example. They must ensure that every vote counts during elections, and not just the votes of those that support them. They must ensure that a fairer system is created where people can air their grievances and be assured that the case will be looked upon and considered for a fair hearing in the courts of law.
Failure to allow justice and equity to the people will continue to bring about situations where a military coup is inevitable in African countries. Even if military government is not the best system of governance, as the people will see it as a temporary relief to their many problems.
As Africa continues to witness the forced seizure of power by military men, we Yoruba must stand ready to declare our independent nation if the Nigerian democracy were to fall into the hands of the military. As we continue to clamour for our independent Yoruba nation, we must use every legally available instrument to pursue our goal and by the grace of God, sooner rather than later our own Yoruba country will be a reality.
