Sudan: Tribute to Fallen Heroes
Franklin Otorofani, Esq.
R.I.P., Nigerian Heroes!!!!
The sobering picture above of the seven Nigerian
soldiers slain in the line of duty in Sudan, whose
coffins were dapped in the national flag at a funeral
ceremony in Abuja, was splashed in the front pages of
most of the Nigerian dailies today October 07, 2007.
And as reported by the papers, Nigerians poured out in
their thousands to pay their respects to the slain
heroes. Franklin Otorofani joins fellow compatriots all
over the world to pay his respects to the slain
soldiers. May their souls Rest in Peace. Amen.
But as we mourn their deaths we should ask the question:
What took them to Sudan and what did they die for? Is
Sudan part of the Nigerian Empire? Is it the 37th State
of the Union or is it a vassal state or a Dependency
Territory of Nigeria?
No! Sudan is none of that. Sudan is the largest (by
territorial size), Africa’s independent, sovereign,
state in North Africa that is embroiled in Africa’s
longest running civil war between the Moslem North and
the Christian South that has claimed hundreds of
thousands of lives. And in line with Nigeria’s leading
trouble-shooting role in Africa, she promptly dispatched
a brigade of Nigerian troops under the auspices of the
AU and UN to keep the peace in the war-torn desert
country that has woefully failed to manage her own
multi-religious and multi-cultural population like
Nigeria.
The slain Nigerian soldiers, therefore, paid the
ultimate price not fighting to keep the peace in Nigeria
somewhere in Port Harcourt, Kano, Niger Delta, Ibadan,
Onitsha, or elsewhere in Nigeria, but for keeping the
peace in far away Sudan that most Nigerians cannot even
make out in the world map. For peace in Sudan our brave
warriors gave their lives. For Sudanese future they gave
up their present and their future. Yes, for Sudanese,
fathers, mothers and children, they sacrificed their
lives, dreams and aspirations. Why shouldn’t the nation
mourn these great heroes? Why shouldn’t the nation toll
the bells and sing dirges in honor of their memories?
Why shouldn’t the nation’s flag fly at half mast to mark
the passing of our great heroes who did our nation
proud?
Nigerians should, indeed, be proud of the sacrifices of
their men and women in uniform. I was, therefore, moved
almost to tears as many Nigerians, I am sure, after
reading the reports about how thousands of Nigerians
poured out to pay their respects to the fallen heroes.
Prior to that, the Nigerian Senate under its dynamic
President, Senator David Mark, had caused the Senate to
observe a minute of silence in honor of the dead troops
when the news first hit the airwaves. I am, therefore,
also proud of the Nigerian Senate, particularly its
President, for according the fallen soldiers that
national honor.
Taken together with the public outpouring of grief this
is a sea change in Nigerians’ attitudes towards the
military and members of other uniformed services in the
country. If this is the turning point I would say:
Thanks to Democracy! This outpouring of grief and
recognition of military service abroad by the ordinary
citizens could not have happened in a military era. It’s
safe to say, therefore, that Nigerians have turned the
corner in their attitudes towards uniformed men. I
would, therefore, earnestly urge our fellow citizens for
the sustenance of this newfound attitude. If other
countries honor their military there is no reason why
Nigeria shouldn’t. That some ambitious generals messed
up the military in politics is now history and cannot be
used as pretext for vilifying the military as the number
one national institution. Besides, the national must
move on and we cannot be fixated to the past.
Those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe
and protect the unity and stability of the country
deserve every respect and admiration both from the
government and the general citizenry, their shortcomings
notwithstanding. How many Nigerians would put their
lives on the line to defend and protect their country?
Few would, indeed, and those who do deserve to be
respected, indeed, honored for their personal
sacrifices. I don’t care what. After all our politicians
who are busy looting our treasuries and smiling their
way to the banks have not done a fraction of what these
brave men and women do everyday for their country under
extreme circumstances, with poor rewards structure and
equipment.
The people have done their part and the rest is for the
government. The widows and children of the fallen heroes
must be properly catered for by the government and the
Senate should take the lead in making that happen by
sponsoring a bill to that effect. I would also like to
call on the government to stop the ridiculous practice
of mass retirement of military officers at the beginning
of incoming administration as President Yar’Adua did
back in June. It makes no sense to callously dispense
with the services of our generals on the altar of
political expediency. It’s a great disservice to the men
and women in uniform and, indeed, the nation they had
served so meritoriously.
Oh, yes! Nigerian soldiers died keeping the peace in a
foreign land, Sudan, that has as much oil as Nigeria.
Does the story not have a familiar ring to it? This is a
familiar story in Nigeria. More than any other country
in Africa, Nigerian soldiers and even civilians, (as in
the case of Nigerian journalists slaughtered by Charles
Taylor in Liberia), have paid the ultimate price in
peacekeeping operations all over Africa. There is
virtually no troubled spot in Africa without Nigerian
boots on the ground keeping the peace. Nigeria is
Africa’s Fire Brigade!
Wherever there is fire in Africa, Nigeria is called upon
to rush in peacekeepers and put out the fire at her own
expense. And Nigeria is ever willing to play that
continental role in furtherance of her commitment to
Africa, the Mother Continent, because no one else would
do it. It’s similar to the role being played by the
United States on a global scale because no other country
would do it.
But what does she get in return? International respect,
recognition and admiration, alright. That’s all well and
good, but what else does she get in return? Pretty much
nothing. Nigeria has no investments in Sudan, Liberia,
Sierra Leone, Congo, or, for that matter, anywhere else
on the continent where she had shed the blood of her
sons and daughters to keep the peace. There are no
Nigerian Ezzon-Mobiles, Transcorps, Microsofts, GEs,
McDonalds, Citi-Banks, Shell BPs or other multi-national
corporations in those countries. Yet she sacrifices her
blood and money to keep the peace in those countries
with nothing in return, and sometimes, nothing but plain
ingratitude from other African nations. When it’s time
to put forward African candidacy for the UN Security
Council seat, an ungrateful continent is found unwilling
to adopt Nigeria unanimously to occupy the seat and
sponsors other candidates to compete with her for the
seat.
But they don’t compete with Nigeria for peacekeeping
operations in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Sudan. They
didn’t compete with Nigeria in the anti-colonial and
anti-apartheid struggles. Nigeria that is thousands of
miles away from Southern Africa the battle theater was
prevailed upon to bear the brunt of the anti-colonial
and anti-apartheid struggles as a member of the
Frontline States, when these other countries like Egypt
now competing with her for the UN seat couldn’t be
bothered with the struggles. They keep their troops and
their money where their mouths are and leave the dirty
work for Nigeria to do only for them to show up and
compete with Nigeria when it’s time to reap the rewards,
sometimes even ganging up against her as was recently
the case with the African Development Bank (ADB)
presidency.
It’s about time Nigeria radically had a rethink of her
African policy. She cannot continue with business as
usual by sacrificing her sons and daughters in
peacekeeping operations with nothing in return. She must
find a way to put her blood and money where her mouth
is. However, much as we might try to play the Big
Brother role in Africa, the truth is that nothing goes
for nothing in this world and that’s the law of nature.
It’s called “consideration” in law and “price” in
economics. Let’s call a spade a spade. There is
something called quid pro quo in international
relations.
Therefore, if Nigeria is to pay a “price” in
peacekeeping operations anywhere in Africa, she must
have some tangible “rewards” for the bargain. That’s
what the big players in the international arena such as
the US, Russia, Britain, France, Canada, and China, get
in return. Nigeria must not and cannot afford to be an
exception. Thus, just as Wall Street follows the
Pentagon Nigeria’s Broad Street must also follow
Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, wherever it goes in
peacekeeping operations inside and outside Africa. By
now, Nigeria’s Broad Street should have had a formidable
presence in Liberian and Sierra-Leone after the country
helped to secure the peace in those countries with her
blood and money. There are lots of business
opportunities in those African countries that are even
within our own West African sub-region.
The Dangotes, Globacoms, Transcorps; Transcontinentals,
GTs and First Banks, Zeniths, etc, must quickly move in
to have a robust Nigerian presence in those countries.
Nigerian capitalism must blossom and flourish in those
countries as it currently does in Ghana at the moment.
After all, West Africa and, indeed, the entire African
continent is there for the taking. Should Nigerian
businesses fail to fill the void be rest assured that
foreign business hawks from China, US, Britain, Japan,
and others will swoop in and help to fill the void for
us to the eternal regret of the continent.
As Nigerian big businesses fan out throughout the
continent in this and coming decades to take their
place, they should keep an eagle eye on the exploits of
Defense Headquarters and take advantage of business
opportunities that might open up at the cessation of
hostilities before others beat us to it.
Adieu, Nigerian Heroes!!!
Franklin Otorofani, Esq.
mudiagaone@yahoo.com
