ECOWAS response to the Niger coup has finally placed whatever is left of the CREDIBILITY of that body on the line; while Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership of that body (coupled with his personal and political baggage may have EARNED Nigeria the perception of an anti-African West-backed ECOWAS nation.

For the first time in my life as a Nigerian, I will be witnessing Africans calling a Nigerian President UNFLATTERING names; ‘ EBOLA Tinubu.’

As Africa’s BIG BROTHER, we have always had our respect among African countries; because Nigeria has ALWAYS been at the FOREFRONT of leading conversations and actions that ADVANCE the interest of Africa and Africans.

From SUPPORTING South Africans, in EVERY WAY possible, in the fight against Apartheid to SINGLE-HANDEDLY funding the ECOMOG interventions that RESTORED peace and stability in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

So, we have ALWAYS had the RESPECT of other Africans; although the xenophobic ATTACKS on Nigerians in African countries are REGRETTABLE, we have the leadership of Nigeria to BLAME for that; to a great extent.

Jagaban wants to LEAD ECOWAS to go WAGE WAR on Niger; Mohammadu Buhari’s OTHER country, faa!

His predecessor, who HELPED him ((Tinubu) to power by ALL MEANS NECESSARY!

What was jagaban THINKING?

Anyway, he should be THANKFUL to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, for SAVING the country from his (Tinubu) RECKLESS theatrics.

Niger’s coup has come to OPEN the CAN of worms France and its Western allies have been holding over our heads in Africa.

It has EXPOSED the METHOD exploited by the West to keep Africa UNDERDEVELOPED; while STEALING our MONIES, MINERALS and MINDS!

They use CRIMINAL Politicians that they FORCE through election RIGGING and MISRULE.

The ONLY crime those PUPPETS of theirs can COMMIT is to have COMPASSION for the people.

The moment you want to do things that will BENEFIT your people, you become the ENEMY of the West.

Paul Biya of Cameroon continues, in his DEMENTED and MESSY state of health and personality, to be protected by France; while Cameroonians perpetually suffer hardship.

Meanwhile, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, who was KILLED, by NATO- ASSISTED stupid idiots; because of his over 42-year RULE (NOT misrule); which PROSPERED EVERY Libyan.

Well, just as some Nigerians are being DECEIVED to believe in the TOXIC DEMOCRACY sold by the West, some strategic, but STUPID Libyans FELL for the BAIT; they succeeded in getting rid of Gaddafi and today, in a TATTERED Libya, the REGRET and the consequences of their stupidity is being felt by every Libyan today.

As you read this, America -led NATO has taken over Libya; and what is WORSE, they are PREVENTING African Presidents from ENGAGING the PUPPET the WEST imposed on Libyans.

They tried it with Syria and thankfully, Russia RESCUED that Arab country from the claws of the West.

Thus, the Russian STRONG MAN, Vladimir Putin has become the MORTAL enemy they MUST get down; by EVERY means NECESSARY!

Let me tell you a bit about Putin…

After the US succeeded in using Gorbachev to COLLAPSE the Soviet Union, they UNLEASHED their political VIRUSES on the collapsed Union and its CONSTITUENTS; with Russia as the focal part of their destruction.

So, they raise  BILLIONAIRES and politicians who don’t give a damn about the Russian people; but who make pretensions to the cause.

It’s just like raising the Femi Otedolas, Dangotes, Tony Elemelus etc and using them  with politicians to keep Nigerians down and in perpetual poverty.

Boris Yeltsin became the President of Russia and was ACCEPTED by the West.

You know why…

He had a NEUROLOGICAL problem bothering on Alzeinmers. So, the guy couldn’t coordinate himself in power.

Meanwhile, Russia was BLEEDING; just as Nigeria is hemorrhaging today.

As the scriptures say, God uses foolish things to CONFOUND the wise.

Even in his state of ill health, Yeltsin still had the good of his people at heart.

So, he kept shopping for the BEST man he could ENTRUST the Life of Russia.

He tried a couple of vocal and so called RESPECTED Russians, none WORKED.

Then, he had to bring a young FSB and KGB officer; whose pedigree in the INTELLIGENCE service is IMPECCABLE.

According to him, Putin is the ONLY guy who NEVER took bribe.

It got so bad for Yeltsin, that at a point he was FORCED to BEG America to help him out of the DETERIORATING Russian economic crises.

In one phone call with a US President, Yeltsin was TREATED with so much DISRESPECT that Putin who had then become the Prime Minister (and who was in the room during that call) felt disgusted and angry at how America was subjecting his President and nation to RIDICULE and disregard.

To cut the long story short, Putin EVENTUALLY had control of the reins of power in Russia.

Here is where it gets interesting…

Just PICTURE Nigeria as it is TODAY, the poverty, insecurity and all that; and yes, the CHAOS and ANARCHY we are experiencing today.

HOW PUTIN MADE THE UNSUNG RUSSIAN MIRACLE…. IT COULD HAPPEN IN NIGERIA TOO…

Then a Putin comes into the building to STRAIGHTEN things out; and voila, like a miracle, within one year of his reign, all of a sudden, Nigerians have 24 hours electricity, prices of foodstuffs CRASH to VERY AFFORDABLE levels, education becomes VIRTUALLY free, the youths now have jobs, our refineries which paid ENEMIES of our country convinced you will take years to repair are brought back to life; within 18 months…

Nigerians could access health at LITTLE or no cost. Transportation, housing and many other DIVIDENDS of the so called democracy are now being ENJOYED by Nigerians.

As UTOPIAN as this may sound to a WEAK and IGNORANT mind, it HAPPENED in Putin’s Russia.

And, Russians have Putin to THANK; for the MAGIC.

Another IMPORTANT point you NEED to know is that WHILE Putin was REVIVING Russia, he DIDN’T ask the West for Aid; he didn’t LIE to his people about some West-fashioned stupid REFORMS. He didn’t DECEIVE them with FAKE PROMISES. And, he didn’t BEG his people to SUFFER MORE HARDSHIP.

The ONLY people who FELT Putin’s PUNISHMENT were the CORRUPT ELITE propped up by America; such as the boss of Yukos Oil.

Tell me, if such a guy were to ENTER Nigeria today, would you have any reason to run to another man’s country in search of greener pastures? Of course not.

That’s exactly how Russians feel today under Putin.

To bring SANITY to the moral fibre of the country, Putin KICKED out the DEMONIC NGOs and media platforms the West used to inject its political and economic virus into the Russian system.

Of course, the West screamed HUMAN RIGHTS abuse and their usual deceptive  ‘GOOD GUY’ scam.

To rubbish the Russian strong man,  Western media keep telling you that Putin is STEALING Russia’s wealth to become one of the richest dictators in the world; Who CARES?

The Russians CARE LESS!

Imagine this situation further…

After the guy has succeeded in ENSURING that no Nigerian is left behind in the NATIONAL PROSPERITY he has generated for the people and nation of Nigeria, he decides to STEAL some for himself.

Knowing Nigerians, we will be PROUD to see our BENEVOLENT Leader and President EXUDE our national prosperity.

If we can CELEBRATE CRIMINALS stealing our collective patrimony in the guise of governance, while we SUFFER, surely an ANGEL as Putin will be HERO-WORSHIPPED.

And Russians did it; LITERALLY! Yes, they worshipped the guy; especially in his early years as Leader.

The RUSSIA- UKRAINE  War

Let no one deceive you, Ukraine is LOSING the war.

In any case, for now, Russia has NOT declared war on Ukraine; just a MILITARY OPERATION as Putin would like to describe his expedition in Ukraine.

Although, the current situation is snowballing into a WAR-LIKE exchange of fire, should Russia engage in a full war with Ukraine, Kiev, the Capital city would have been LEVELED and the Ukrainian President, Zelensky would not have the luxury of bouncing all over the place with his Western allies and supporters seeking military and financial aids that can barely take him far in the expanding war.

THE WEST AFRICAN CONNECTION

Before the war, Russia has been a leading supplier of much of the RESOURCE need of Europe and the West.

Unfortunately for them, the sanctions they imposed on Putin and his men (which Putin CONSISTENTLY SHRUGS off), the consequences of blocking the Russian resource window is having ADVERSE effect on Americans, Europeans and their nations’ economies at large.

Uranium, for instance, makes up over 70% of France’s energy need. In other words, besides powering their Nuclear reactors, the French needs the mineral to power electricity across the country.

Niger, a French colony, is home to 5% of the world’s uranium deposit.

So, French President, Emmanuel Macron, was NOT bothered because his LACKEY President of Niger, Bazoum will not be a hindrance to STEALING the Nigerien’s uranium.

Thankfully, Putin helped in opening the eyes of Nigeriens and consequently, kicking out Macron’s puppet from power in that West African country.

The Russian strong man has done the same in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and COUNTING…

The new military government has KICKED OUT France from its country and SHREDDED the FRAUDULENT agreement the French got their puppet leaders to sign and STOPPED the Uranium going to France.

Now, the French, Europe and US are stuck because besides Uranium deposit, Trans Saharan Gas pipeline originating from Nigeria and running through Niger to Morocco for the consumption of the West has been impacted by the coup and change of guard in Niger.

In a unique TWIST of fate, and as never happened in any revolution where citizens of a nation are chanting victory for bringing down a BAD RULER and PRAISING the President of another country, Nigeriens are PRAISING and thanking the Russian Leader for HELPING to LIBERATE the people and country of Niger.

Checkmate!

The popular support ENDORSING the coups across West Africa AGAINST the West’s DECEPTIVE democracy has put PAID to any military intervention by anybody.

ECOWAS ATTEMPTED MILITARY MISADVENTURE

With its MISGUIDED attempt to intervene militarily in Niger, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) almost threw the whole region into a theatre of war.

Fortunately, Nigeria’s legislature REJECTED president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dangerous request to force out the Niger junta from power.

The joke is on ECOWAS now; because the JUNTA’s DEFIANCE and the UNPRECEDENTED support and solidarity it’s been receiving from their more SENSIBLE African brothers, have made NONSENSE of the EXPIRATION of the deadline the group gave the junta to vacate power.

Look at it yourself, the man leading ECOWAS into this NEEDLESS misadventure, is himself, not in good shape in his country.

The people of Niger know that Tinubu’s election was NOT exactly PURE; plus the fact that all the ALLEGATIONS levied against the jagaban DO NOT qualify him to the position, as president of Nigeria; let alone, an ECOWAS body.

At home, ALL EYES ARE ON THE JUDICIARY.

For one, who’s hell bent on ‘ RESTORING DEMOCRACY’ in another man’s country, the world that WITNESSED the MESSY election that made him president, is ALSO watching and READING the rumours flying around about how jagaban is ALLEGEDLY trying to use Nyesom Wike and Babatunde Fashola to INFLUENCE the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal Panel to deliver a judgement favorable to Tinubu.

They can DENY it, but there’s NEVER a smoke without fire.

If you followed the Tribunal proceedings, against all the ALLEGATIONS backed with OVERWHELMING evidence and WITNESSES, all Tinubu’s counsels could muster were the argument that seek to DIMINISH the SUBSTANCE of Peter Obi’s case and just ONE WITNESS; whose contribution MADE WORSE, Tinubu’s defense.

That’s THE FACT; and you can VERIFY with the Court’s Public Records of the petition.

So, the people of ECOWAS member States and the world at large are SEEING all these… And you BELIEVE they will take Nigeria SERIOUSLY!

By some special REVELATION, the Niger crisis has been used to REVEAL the VILIFIED Putin as a potential MODEL for the new generation of African leaders.

His humble VERIFIABLE background and STERLING ACHIEVEMENTS and LEADERSHIP of the Russian people have become an INSPIRATION to PATRIOTIC HEARTS in the military across Africa; Nigeria’s not EXCLUDED.

Unlike the French and the West even China, Putin has come, to these vibrant, patriotic and VISIONARY young ones in the military, as one who is not out to EXPLOIT their weakness, as a people and as a nation.

Rather, he is REACHING out to them to say;  ” hey, my country was in this exact situation your nation has found herself today. But God brought me in to CLEAN up the MESS as created by America and Europe.

Look at where my country is today, because I allowed God to use me.

I’m only here to TEACH you on how to DEVELOP your country to the level of mine, so you TOO can STAND UP for your RIGHT as a nation on the global stage…

So that you too, can STAND; SHOULDER TO SHOULDER with America and all other world powers, including mine… As EQUALS!”

” Yes, the West will tell you I stole my people’s wealth to ENRICH myself… Yes, that is my BENEFITS for the GOOD WORK I do for my people; and they are HAPPY and PROUD of me… I want to get to that point too.

The bottom line and the TRICK to all these is to give your PEOPLE all the GOOD THINGS of life that make them, proud to be CITIZENS of the country and SATISFIED enough to LOVE you as their LEADER.”

If someone says that to you as an African leader, would you not gravitate towards such a person than be deceived by the West who has proven beyond REASONABLE doubt that Africa and Africans are LESSER BEINGS to them and therefore SLAVES to their  INTEREST and FOOLS to be TAKEN ADVANTAGE of and taken for GRANTED!

Chris Otaigbe Writes from Lagos