Kenya, Nigeria & South-Africa: Tales of Reasoning!
By Taiwo Lawrence Adeyemi
“Leadership is an elusive concept, defined by many, but achieved by few.” John W Stanko
Kenya with a population of about 51.10 million, speaks Swahili, Dholuo, and Sheng languages. Regaled in African Safari, Magnificent Indian Ocean coastline, Great Rift Valley, Africa’s peak Mount Kilimanjaro, world’s net producer of coffee and East-Africa dominant and economic hub.
Kenya has had a fair share of political upheavals from Daniel Arap Moi to Mwai Kibaki to the Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenya has to battle political forces and they comes out stronger. In a historic ruling and a first in Africa, Kenya’s Supreme Court nullified the re-election of a sitting president, ordering a new vote to be held within 60 days. Justice David Maraga became Africa’s finest moment in judiciary history when Kenya Supreme Court headed by Justice David Maraga nullify August 8th, 2017 Kenya election that re-elected President Uhuru Kenyatta by Raila Odinga in what election observers termed; “the most expensive election in history”, costing over $1 billion.
Kenya Supreme court ordered an election re-run. The whole world holds her breath as Kenyans went back to the polls in which Raila Odinga withdrew from the race citing Kenya’s Electoral Commission complicity and lack of confidence to hold and organize a free and fair election. Ezra Chiloba, the chief executive officer of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission was later forced to resigned along with members of Kenya Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Kenya was at the edge of dis-integration, but the political will of Kenyans was undying and they forged ahead in unity. The political will of Kenyans was put to test and they surmounted it, with Raila Odinga sworn-in himself in as People’s President. The rest is history!
With al-Shaabab terrorists to battle, political upheavals, corruption and environmental catastrophe, Kenya has indeed take these multiple challenges headlong and speedily recovering from these catastrophes. Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration has taken the war against corruption to a phenomenal dimensions. Charging high profile politicians, public officials and agencies to court and sentencing same!
South-Africa with a population of 52 million people, a member of G-5 Countries called BRICS; Brazil, Russia, India, China, South-Africa, the world’s second economic biggest economic block after the G-7 Countries; USA, Germany, Canada, Japan, Italy, France, UK, Africa’s economic hub, the longest railway network in Africa, estimated at 20,192 kilometres and the 14th longest in the world, which represents about 80% of Africa’s total rail network and has been battling corruption related cases.
Former South-Africa president, Jacob Zuma fall from grace to grass in a corruption scandal associated with Guptagate. Jacob Zuma’s government was embedded in high profile corruption cases and it’s eventual disgrace from office.
After the incumbent South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa, a former president of Conference of South Africa Trade Unions, COSATU, emerged as the new South-Africa president after taking over from Jacob Zuma. Cyril Ramaphosa took a clean sweep of South-Africa corruption ridden system and Cyril Ramaphosa is gradually restoring the confidence of South-Africans back. South-Africa; The Home of Table Mountains, Kruger Park, Robben Island, Eve’s Footprints, Cape of Good Hope, the White Sand Beaches of Sun City. Will South-Africa president, Cyril Ramaphosa succeed in restoring South-Africa back to Africa’s economic, tourist and transportation hub?
Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari ascended the office on 29th, May, 2015 and promised to put to an end according to him Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 16 years of financial profligacy, corruption medal award and administrative recklessness. Three years and two months down the line, the battle is yet to start. President Muhammadu Buhari is still battling his own words!
Nigeria with a population of 200 million people, emerging as the new poverty capital of the world and overtaking India. With 6 Nigerians receding to poverty line in every minutes! About 87 million Nigerians lives in an abject poverty, due to entrenched and institutionalized corruption and corrupt practices.
Virtually, with everything working and going against the tide of governance, and development. Nigeria is Africa’s largest crude oil producer and the sixth largest in the world. With a daily crude oil production of 1.8 million barrel’s per day, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries quota. Yet, Nigerian’s are at the mercy of corrupt laden official’s and politicians, with crude oil theft of over 450,000 barrels daily!
Nigeria’s government unearth from Mrs Diezani Alison-Maduekwe, former Minister of Petroleum Resources an estimated $90 billion, in what government referred to as the “biggest looting scandal in the country history”. Mrs Diezani Alison-Maduekwe is described as Looting Cancer Patient, incurable appetite for looting, a ‘Kleptomaniac’. The recent return of $322.5 million Sanni Abacha’s loot from Switzerland to the Nigeria government is said to have been dis-appropriately shared!
Chad’s Hissen Habre was jailed for life in Senegal, Congo Democratic Republic, Zaire’s Mobutu Seseko died in Morocco while in exile, Liberia’s Charles Taylor in jail in Austria, Ethiopia’s Megistu Haile Mariam fled to Zimbabwe, Burkina Fasso’s Blaise Compaore fled to Ivory Coast, Gambia’s Yahaya Jammeh fled to Equatorial Guinea, Somalia’s Mohammed Siad Barre fled to Nigeria, Uganda’s Idi Amin fled to Saudi Arabia and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma in court.
Corruption has crippled Africa’s development. Is there anything left to steal in Africa by it’s leaders & rulers?
Taiwo Lawrence Adeyemi
Research & Data Analyst, Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism [PTCIJ].
