Jonathan warned by Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoire

Posted by admin National Politics Sunday, December 26th, 2010

As the political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire festers, Nigerians living in the country have cried out to the Federal Government to save their investment worth several billions of Naira from ruin. The Nigerians, under auspices of Coalition of Nigerians living in Ivory Coast, enjoined President Goodluck Jonathan not to endanger their lives and businesses of over five million people with undue interference in the political affairs of the former French colony.

Speaking in Abuja, the spokesperson and legal adviser of the group, Barrister Emeka Uchegbulam, said the way the federal government is interfering in the Internal Affairs of Ivory Coast is putting her national at risk.

According to him, it is not proper for the federal government to dabble into the affairs of Cote d’Ivorie because “it also negates the principles of sovereignty of nations and the none interference in other nations’ internal affairs, rule of law, fair play and democracy even after a constitutional court of law, the only legitimate institution that adjudicates on any election petition issues in Ivory Coast, sat and determined the winner of the outcome of the general elections held in that country”.

He acknowledged that although the outcome of the election was fraught with irregularities, “resulting in the absence of a clear cut winner which necessitated the ruling of the highest arbiter in the land, the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo was declared the winner amidst controversies. However, what is interesting here is not whether there was a controversy or not but how these controversies have attracted international community.

“As we speak, the UN ( led by a gang of colonial masters who see their strategic position in Ivory Coast threatened by the gradual but growing shift of interest of President Gbagbo’s government from the west to the east. From France and its western allies to Russia and China ), the African Union and in particular the Economic Commission for West African States have all taken sides on the matter.

It is good to know that all these are aimed at ensuring that the rule or law is observed and obeyed. But how do we ascertain what law or facts are these international organizations upholding?” “The participation of the Nigerian government in addressing the Ivory Coast crisis by joining in the western propaganda which seeks to overrule a court decision and force Gbagbo to hand over power is endangering the lives and businesses of Nigerians in Ivory Coast. Nigeria should be careful not to allow her intervention in the Ivorian crises affect the lives of over five million Nigerians, negatively. The Ivorian electoral crises are fast becoming a military face off between the contending parts.

“The way the Federal government is handling matters will harm Nigerians as well as escalate tension and create friction between Nigerians and the supporters of President Gbagbo.wp_posts