The world in which we find ourselves enveloped fits in for description as the world without walls, meaning that anything goes and lawlessness has become the order of the day. Unfortunately, the purpose behind the establishment of the United Nations Organization, which includes, among many other things, keeping the world in peace and preventing wars as well as ensuring bilateral and multi-lateral economic collaborations is far becoming unrealistic and illusory.
A good point of reference regarding how far this global organization has had its powers undermined include the wars between Russia and Ukraine, the Israeli-Palestinian war and the anti-democratic rules amongst many member countries of the United Nations. This situation has proved to be an irony and a contradiction of the saying that anything that is worth doing at all is worth doing well.
Looking at the relevant charters of the United Nations in relation to the rules of engagement in war situations and the guiding principles emanating from the Geneva Convention Charters which clearly differentiate the counter value target from the counter force target. One can say without gainsaying the fact that both Israel and the Hamas militants have erred going by the internationally acceptable rules of engagement.
It is important to state also that the protocol of the Geneva Convention is clear about what is considered a counter value target in contrast with what is a counter force target. The counter value target includes places such as churches, mosques, bridges, dams, and places that are of value to the civilians, and to that effect are illegal to be targeted in the face of war or in war situations, whereas the counter force targets are things and places that are of value to the military, which can be targeted in war situations.
What is on ground right now in the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine after the Hamas militants murdered 1400 Israelis on October 7th, leading to the revenge attack by Israel through airstrikes and the ground invasion of Gaza where more than 11,500 Palestinians have been killed including babies, children, women and men who are civilians, fit in for description as a total violation of the Geneva Convention Charters as well as a blatant disregard for the relevant Charters of the United Nations Organization.
As condemnable as the earlier attacks on Israel by the Hamas militants on October 7th where 1400 Israelis were murdered in cold blood, the same condemnation applies to what Israel is currently doing in Gaza to the Palestinian civilians where all the health facilities have been shut down and hundreds of newborn babies are dying for lack of electricity and oxygen for incubators in the hospital.
The situation in Gaza caused by the operations being carried out by the Israeli army is not different from genocide and this for no reason whatsoever can be considered acceptable. In situations like this where America and other superpower countries except Russia cannot come out openly and ask for a cease-fire, this is nothing other than hypocrisy and this is the bane of the realization of peace and stability in the world.
However, as condemnable as the aggressive behavior of Vladimir Putin of Russia is against Ukraine, the West especially America, France, the UK and other superpower countries, not making a strong statement by calling for a cease-fire in the Israeli-Palestinian war is nothing other than a double standard and an unholy alliance. Why the agreement of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine earlier reached as the outcomes of several peace meetings was not implemented can be described as the major reason behind the hostilities that led to the Israeli-Palestinian war that is currently going on.
Suffice to say in conclusion, that an immediate cease-fire in the war that is currently going on is long overdue, and to forestall future hostilities and acts of terrorism, the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine is the answer to a peaceful coexistence between the two neighboring ethnic groups. Preventive diplomacy should be adopted as a road map to world peace.
Moreover, while President Tinubu was in Saudi Arabia to attend the first Saudi-Africa Summit which was a three-day event that commenced on Friday, November 10, the Presidency reported that the President and his entourage were well received by the Saudi government.
Surprisingly, in a twist of events, reports have it that about 250 Nigerians had their visas canceled on arrival to Saudi Arabia and were repatriated. This event dealt a serious blow to the government of Nigeria and was an indictment on the claimed acceptability of President Tinubu and his entourage by the government of Saudi Arabia.
One important lesson that should be learnt by the Tinubu’s administration is that charity is expected to begin at home and to this end, rather than President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presenting himself to the world as the chief marketing officer of Nigeria while leaving his home dirty and unclean is like someone who is washing his dirty linen outside and to the detriment of his family.
Recall that the same scenario played out when Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu stopped over at the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi where he was said to have had a robust discussion with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of United Arab Emirates, where the problems that led to the imposition of a visa ban on Nigeria and the cessation of the United Arab Emirates flight to and from Nigeria had been halted. As highly publicized and exaggerated the positive purported outcome of the discussion between the two leaders was, the result expected is still hanging till date. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his well-paid propagandist can only deceive a large number of the Nigeria populace but not the world.
In this era of Social media and where the world is like a global village, nothing going on in Nigeria is hidden especially among the committee of Nations. Bola Ahmed Tinubu should sit back and put his home in order, a task that is herculean instead of roaming about the world in the guise of marketing a product that is not marketable.
Furthermore, the off-cycle elections in Nigeria of November 11th, in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states, was seen as an important election that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could use to correct its battered and dented image after the February 25th, 2023 elections that will remain in the history of Nigeria as the most fraudulent elections that produced the most unpopular President in the history of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
As it is difficult for a leopard to change its spots, the same was the case with the criminally minded and unrepentant Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, and his criminally minded lieutenants. The elections were characterized by irregularities and fraud such that were unprecedented and according to the gubernatorial candidate of the People Democratic Party in Kogi state, Senator Dino Melaye, who was announced by INEC to have come third in the Kogi State elections, he declared in an interview on Arise TV, Prime Time Show, that he has experienced different kinds of riggings in elections in the past but the most recent which happened in the elections he took part in in Kogi State on November 11, was legendary.
INEC itself admitted that in one of the local governments, its officials were caught with pre-filled election results materials, and a female INEC official was also caught with one million naira cash in her bag on the day of the election. The situation in Kogi State is mild when compared with what was obtained in Imo State where INEC declared the incumbent governor, Hope Uzodinma as the winner of the elections.
All the observers of the off-cycle gubernatorial elections in the three states especially in Imo and Kogi State berated the process and described the exercise as shambolic. With this development, there is no gainsaying the fact that Nigerians have lost hope completely in the electoral system of Nigeria and this can be seen in the voter’s apathy in the just-concluded elections. In Imo state the security agents were used to intimidate voters and leaders of the opposition parties were mistreated, and there was serious electoral fraud which include the bye-pass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the accreditation of voters, indiscriminate award of results to the All Progressive Congress candidate who was the incumbent governor.
The list of all the atrocious acts that characterized the conduct of the elections cannot be overemphasized. This experience calls for a total overhaul of Nigeria’s electoral system and unfortunately, the important arms of government that are expected to champion the processes of reforms which are the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary have also been compromised. It is important to state here that Nigeria’s democracy has reached a dead end and if nothing is done, what is left in Nigeria as democracy will go extinct. What remains now is a dark alley and hopelessness of unimaginable magnitude.
Where Nigerians and Nigeria go from here, only God can tell. Nigeria has no leader and is not desirous of any leader at this point in time for only a savior is what the country needs, and this can only be possible through the doings of the powers from above, which is God.
An admonition to those whose pot of soup is in the dirty politics in Nigeria; “Know how to draw away… do not belong so wholly to others that you do not belong to yourself. Neither be all, nor give all to anyone; neither blood, nor friendship, nor the most pressing obligations, justify it, for there is a big difference between the bestowal of your affection and the bestowal of yourself.” Dr. Baltasar Gracian
May God bless Nigeria!
Samuel Tunji Adeyanju
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