Weighted hypocrisy

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not Niger Republic in West Africa. Saudi Arabia sits on top oil fields which are the envy of many nations and their rulers are accorded respect no-end as a result, were she a Niger Republic with no oil wells, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi wouldn’t have been taken lightly by world powers especially since he was murdered in a foreign land with the approval of the rulers of that kingdom.

If they can so brutally kill their own, and dispose of his body without respect as suggested in an Al Jazeera documentary, I wonder what they wouldn’t do to a Nigerian. The international community with respect to Saudi Arabia appreciates interests and business more than humanity.

North Korea is not Nigeria and the leader Kim Jong-un can dare Donald Trump to come with “the right attitude” to the next negotiating table or else there wouldn’t be a talk on the reduction of nuclear arsenals. Big brother China backs him up.

Big brother China doesn’t want America’s influence in the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula and uses North Korea as a bargaining chip.

Iran and Russia can team up with the Syrian leader to kill the innocent people of Syria whilst world leaders go drinking coffee, lives do not matter, same in Yemen with Saudi Arabia.

Somewhere they say they practice communism, that theirs is a communist country with communists’ people. But their leaders have private properties scattered all over the world in capitalist countries? Maybe theirs is communism-capitalism? Nigeria is a capitalist country but our type of capitalism is one that provides enabling environment for the few instead of the majority. And the majority as a consequence seeks government job and not private enterprise. Fulfillment for the majority comes from the engagement in government job.  

Small and medium scale enterprises haven’t been able to fill the funding gap that government should provide but failed to because many have been frustrated out of business. Nigeria supports crony capitalism- the provision of opportunities for a few instead of the majority and the majority resorts to self-help.

Hugo Chávez, and Nicolás Maduro frittered away Venezuela’s resources leading the people of a very wealthy country with the largest oil wells in the world to go begging for food, medicines and other basic necessities of life.

What is disturbing is to see Nicolás Maduro in denial that the country doesn’t need aid because everything is hunky-dory accusing Juan Guaidó for being a marionette of the United States. But a once defiant president who refused aid into the country has accepted for same aid to come in, this time by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Mealy mouthed president if you ask me. What now gave? His people have been left hungry for more than a decade no-thanks to malfeasance and executive skullduggery.

Blame America for everything like the Persians and Arabs, most of who are coached to shout death to America and yet their children go to America not only to access health services, school but to give birth to children so as to hold the American passport. And when citizens are oppressed, those who were once enchanted to shout death to America run to America and the west for refuge.

At that point in time, America becomes a land of equal opportunity. What is even bemusing is to see some of the asylum-seekers having been granted refugee status instead of living quietly thanking their host for their benignity campaign for more rights in their host countries more than they ever had in their home of origin, or could have had in their home country.

How is Libya now post Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi? The people threw him out you are likely to say right? But can anyone drive around in Tripoli and suburban areas as much as they did when he was alive. Certainly not.

Somewhere in the world needs strong men rulers for stability. The young men in Sudan did well to start a revolution that deposed leader Omar al-Bashir, but they falter in asking for a total regime change away from the military influence. They do not seem to be bothered about security as militia, security agencies loyal to the former president are lurking around the corner.

I think it is downright hypocritical to ask the military to intervene in the affairs of the country and yet turn around and ask the military not to participate in the affairs of the country especially as it is needed for order and stability, first before civil rule.

Which reminds me of Algeria? I am not a fan of Abdelaziz Bouteflika who is hailed as a tyrant and a power hungry former president, not that I supported his continued stay in office until he was forced out of power, age and ill health were his albatrosses but no-one recalls how his efforts ended the brutal Algerian civil war, although he was a corrupt president as alleged but could the protesters on the streets of Algeria have been able to protest and speak freely as they did, were the country at war with itself as it did decades ago. Just trying to put things in perspective here.

Boko Haram started with the knowledge of state. The major actors are statesmen in our day and enjoin state diners. Kidnapping was simulated in a laboratory in Nigeria somewhere, and folks with mercantile spirits nearby crafted it for exports and were bought wholesale by some people far away.

Whilst these were going on, the political class went to sleep. Having messed up the polity, the political classes ask police officers and soldiers to clean up their mess, by fighting punks that have outgunned them.

How is this possible? Most of the political classes lay claim to being on the side of the masses, but they do not live in houses built with clay, they drive vehicles, many custom built beyond the reach of same masses and at purchase rates that can pay fees of hundreds of students in public schools.

Have they heard of Chuck Feeney? If they had, they would have had foundations to take care of the poor. No-thanks to their ineptitude, Nigerians are interviewed and denied Visas by folks in their 20s in the embassies. And Nigerians in the UK even with the British passport are addressed as British-Born-Nigerians. Weighted hypocrisy.

• Abah wrote from Abuja