BREAKING: Nigeria’s Current Problems Began With Military Coup d’état In 1966 – Reno Omokri—-A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has outlined the negative effects of Coup In Nigeria and West Africa at large.
He made this known in recent post via his original twitter platform.
Reno revealed that apart from the July 29, 1966, and the July 29, 1975, Nigerian coups, the second 1979 Ghanaian coup, which brought Jerry Rawlings to power, and the August 4, 1983 coup in the then Upper Volta, which brought Thomas Sankara to power (he was not a part of the coup, he simply benefited from it), every coup in West Africa has produced a government worse than the government they overthrew.
The socio-political activist and staunch supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar cited Military said coups are not the answers to social and economic problems as Nigeria is still grappling with the issues caused by that unnecessary action which opened up a Pandora’s Box of unintended consequences.
Instead of praying for another Coup In Nigeria, he advised the disgruntled supporters of a failed Presidential candidate in Nigeria to have a second taught on the negative effects
He tweeted:
Apart from the July 29, 1966, and the July 29, 1975, Nigerian coups, the second 1979 Ghanaian coup, which brought Jerry Rawlings to power, and the August 4, 1983 coup in the then Upper Volta, which brought Thomas Sankara to power (he was not a part of the coup, he simply benefited from it), every coup in West Africa has produced a government worse than the government they overthrew.
And in terms of stability, economic progress, and peace, one West African country has fared far better than others. And that nation is Senegal.
Interestingly, Senegal is the only West African country that has never experienced a military coup or civilian authoritarian leadership. Could this be a coincidence, or is it prima facie proof that representative democracy is the best form of government for West Africa?
Let us consider some facts.
While the average inflation rate in West Africa is above 10%, with Nigeria having an inflation rate of 22.79% and Ghana having 42.5%, Senegal has an inflation rate in the single digits.
And while GDP growth in West Africa slowed to 3.6% in 2022, Senegal outperformed the entire region with a real GDP growth rate of 6.1% in 2021 and 4.7% in 2022.
The facts speak for themselves (res ipsa loquitur).
Those now celebrating the coup in Niger Republic and calling for similar illegal actions in their countries, especially disgruntled supporters of a failed Presidential candidate in Nigeria, who insist that he won the recent Nigerian election, whereas the candidate did not even assert such claims in his petition before Nigeria’s Presidential Election Petition Court, may want to take the above facts into strong consideration.
Nigeria’s current problems began with a military coup d’état on January 15, 1966. That coup led to the collapse of regionalism and resource control and the almost total concentration of power in the central government.
Nigeria is still grappling with the issues caused by that unnecessary action which opened up a Pandora’s Box of unintended consequences.
Funny enough, those who celebrated the January 15, 1966 coup became some of the worst victims of the consequences of that action.
This is, therefore, a clarion call to all of West Africa to learn from history instead of repeating history and accusing history of repeating itself.
Military coups are not the answers to social and economic problems. Rather, our regional history is replete with examples that such cures are worse than the disease.
And if you look at the HDI released by the United Nations, at the very top, the nations with the highest Human Development Indexes are those with the rule of law in place, not those with the most resources. And at the bottom are countries with poor rule of law and high resources. Countries like Niger Republic. E get why!
Even if the punishment for plotting a coup in West Africa is not severe, it must at least be certain. Because, where it is certain, it will hardly happen. Rule of law is key.
I, therefore, call on the entire West African subregion, and especially the Economic Community of West African States, to unite under the leadership of Nigeria to confront the illegal change of government in Niger Republic and see that the coup does not stand.
ECOWAS tolerated it in Mali on August 18, 2020, and it only led to another coup there on May 24, 2021. Then it spread to Guinea on September 5, 2021, and from there to Burkina Faso on January 23, 2022, and again on September 30, 2022.
If it stands in Niger Republic, it will no longer be an abnormality in West Africa. It will become the norm. And that does not bode well for democracy in our subcontinent.
Apart from the July 29, 1966, and the July 29, 1975, Nigerian coups, the second 1979 Ghanaian coup, which brought Jerry Rawlings to power, and the August 4, 1983 coup in the then Upper Volta, which brought Thomas Sankara to power (he was not a part of the coup, he simply…
— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) July 30, 2023
