later he sought to accommodate bamileke opposition by bringing various people into his regime, including anglophones like fonlon. with his replacement, biya, the west of cameroon got shunned again, and became much more miserable with biya than they had been with ahidjo.
another small point: the north of cameroon is closer to the north of nigeria than to the south of cameroon. ethnic and religious ties up north have made the national borders less meaningful than the other kinds of borders with the south
ken
--Dear All:
Many thanks to the thoughtful writers about the Nigerian situation, especially with respect to the kidnapped girls and, whether or not "Nigeria is a failed country" or not! There have been excellent discourses from serious scholars, including John (Mbaku), Ken, Lady Emeagwali, and a few others. As a historian, I smiled and urged fellow historian (Lady Emeagwali) on saying: "Go, sista, with the international historical facts about japan and other developed nations and their own plights before theyr eached affluence of today!"
John (Mbaku) said it best when he wrote the kidnapping of the children and the efforts to get them free should be the business of all humanity, not just Nigeria. I say Amen to that, and I add that neighboring African nations must be pressured to speak out!
For example, during the Nigeria-Biafara Civil War, something dastardly and un-African happened to Igbo fighters in a neighboring country that I am yet to read about in any history of the Nigeria-Biafra situation. In fact, the shameful behavior of the African country was part of the main reasons why Ghana's post-Nkrumah military leaders (including executed General Afrifa, Nzeogwu's Sandhurst contemporary) almost recognized Biafra in its statehood quest like the way Tanzania, Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast and a few other nations did. In my intellectual memoirs, I have hinted on what happened, mainly for intellectual curiosity's sake, but not just to "shame" that African country: that Cameroonian President Ahidjo, allegedly, made a deal with the central Nigerian government of General Gowon to lend Cameroon's support. Therefore, to frighten Biafran troops or even get them to surrender to Nigerian forces, almost all the captured Biafran military or even several civilian deserters, who entered the border areas with Cameroon, were rounded up and -- in a public show of support for the "to keep Nigeria one" slogan -- publicly executed! Some Igbo women, so captured, were reportedly "dealt with differently" and allowed to return to tell their men folks in the Biafran enclave to announce the fate of deserted Biafran soldiers and also to undermine their morale by disclosing that Cameroon was on General Gowon's side. I was shocked to hear about what "Alhaji" Ahidjo's government allegedly did to deserted Biafran soldiers.
That is part of my reason for underscoring that it was correct for Professor Mbaku (coincidentally originally from Cameroon) to indicate yesterday in his posted message that the situation of the kidnapped girls in Nigeria is not only a Nigerian problem, but also that of all humanity and, as I would add, especially for some neighboring ECOWAS countries, which may be aiding and abetting the kidnappers because of their sheer jealousy of "oil-rich" Nigeria! Or are we saying that the kidnappers are still holding the girls inside Nigeria, but the Nigerain Armed Forces can't find them? As my Hausa friends, when surprised, would exclaim: "Haba"!
A.B. Assensoh.
From:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Emeagwali, Gloria (History) [emeagwali@mail.ccsu.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2014 7:01 PM
To:'usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com'
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - NIGERIA IS A FAILED COUNTRY--You would think that the US, a country that is in debt to the tune of 17 trillion dollars, or
the Eurozone, owing half of that, would call themselves failed countries but
you don’t hear that kind of language from their citizens or analysts.
Japan has a debt to GDP ratio of over 200%. and a nuclear disaster that is unprecedented.
Nobody uses that kind of language in referring to that country. Instead
Mr Abe Shinzo, the prime minister is globe trotting and basking in the glory of
Japanese nationalism. He is not wallowing in the swamp of self pity.
China may be the #1 in the world right now but in some areas you need a mask
To go outdoors- given the high rate of pollution.
Columbia and Mexico have been having a really hard time fighting the drug lords.
Decapitated bodies line the streets of certain towns and villages-from time to time, but
the people and government fight on. Living in the 21st century has its challenges.
Boko Haram is comprised of bandits and assassins,
misogynists, religious zealots, ransom seekers, the dispossessed, mercenaries and refugees
from Libya, Chad and Mali, the rivals of Ahlul Sunna - and much more-
and these categories are not exhaustive or mutually
exclusive. The movement also has admirers, members and supporters of the Taliban, Al-Qaida, al-Shabaab
and AQIM. No small thing.
These are the moments for level headed action, encouragement and courage, not despair,
cowardice and taunts.
Gloria Emeagwali
From:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of kenneth harrow
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2014 5:40 PM
To:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - NIGERIA IS A FAILED COUNTRY
dear all
better not to think of this situation as being unique to nigeria
how many children were kidnapped, turned into sex slaves or child soldiers, for the lord's resistance army. also run by a religious crackpot.
and how many thousands and thousands of children were turned, also, into sex slaves or child soldiers in liberia and sierra leone, during their wars, in the drc, and actually its neighboring states, also during the fighting there? i don't know enough about the fighting in other places, like angola, sudan, or elsewhere, but i bet children were also impressed into the armies, and that girls were not spared.
what happened in nigeria is truly abominable, but not really unique.
what is to be done? i won't make big pronouncements, except to say that i do not believe the nation-state is the ideal political structure of our times. we are set one against the other as "citizens" of states willing to do anything to maintain power, and, increasingly, incapable of securing the safety of its own citizens.
i wish we'd come to agreements, more and more, about how to end abhorrent actions like this abduction and enslavement of these poor girls; adopt them as our own, and commit together to fighting groups that imagine they are justified by committing atrocities
kenOn 5/7/14 5:23 PM, John Mbaku wrote:
This is an unfair and perhaps, ill-informed, characterization of Nigeria and its problems with governance and economic growth and development. Even, highly developed countries with robust and matured institutions are struggling with radical religious groups, which are determined to destroy both people and property. It is true that it is the constitutional duty of a government to protect its citizens and Nigeria is no exception. However, any government, like that of Goodluck Jonathan, that reaches out to others (including governments) to seek assistance in resolving domestic problems, especially those that involve transnational terrorism, should not be mocked.
The most important and critical issue at the moment is the safety and immediate release of these children. This should be the pre-occupation of not only Nigerians and their leaders, but that of all human beings. To use this unfortunate situation as a foundation from which to criticize Nigeria's government for its supposed incompetence is cruel, insensitive, and a disservice to the parents of these missing children.
There is no justification for this type of insensitivity!
On Wed, May 7, 2014 at 3:01 PM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:
William Bangura:
I do not blame you for this gratuitous diatribe against our Nigeria. The Yoruba say that when the rain falls, both pigeons and chickens are forced to huddle together. There is this other (probably more apt) Yoruba idiom of smaller reverses taking advantage of a person when felled (socially? medically? economically?) by giant ones....but let us skip that.
And there you have it.
Bolaji Aluko
On Wed, May 7, 2014 at 1:48 PM, william bangura <william.bangura17@gmail.com> wrote:
Being a Pan Africanist I empathize with the families whose daughters have been kidnapped by the Boko Haram whose actions are dastardly and should be condemned by all.
Though most Nigerians love to portray their country as the African “super-power” because of her population and natural resources, it is a failed state which can neither provide security for her citizens nor afford them vertical economic advancement.
After achieving independence in 1960 Nigeria became a republic in 1963. It is inexcusable thatwith her petro-dollars she cannot institute intelligence and security forces to safeguard her citizens and her borders.
There have been aspersions thrown in this forum at the colonialists and imperialists for the problems of the continent, but yesterday President Goodluck Jonathan of the Federal Republic of Nigeriawas on his hands and knees crawling to the British and the Americans to liberate those poor girls who did not demand to be born or reside in a feckless and corrupt country.
William Bangura
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JOHN MUKUM MBAKU, ESQ.
J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
Department of Economics
Weber State University
3807 University Circle
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(801) 626-7442 Phone
(801) 626-7423 Fax--
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