Let us soldier in peace as Nigeria and France get closer on and in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea. “What would you like to be when you grow up?, a senior would ask in the village square. “A soldier”, we would respond under the Akpurachi tree in Ugwunta Ovim. Why not? Everyone grew under the sirens of governors, and we extrapolated that the best path to a career success was a military one.
It remained like that until Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu came to the village school and reshaped our thinking. He dropped words, and said “you must be educated”, and then put efforts to channel our mindsets to do well in schools.(He kept checking, going round the village to see progress). General Ike Nwachukwu was also pushing everything to make it clear that the future generation of Ovim was not tethered to military service. Sure, nothing wrong with serving, but every person could not and must not join the military!
Sure, we have got many military people here, and one who became Nigeria’s Army chief (General Ihejirika), his father’s parlour was where we used to gather to study Mathematics. People, it was all military and the admiration was natural. And as Nigeria does whatever it has to do with France, I just have one request as we respect their decisions: let us end the drill as planned. Yes, no extension to Niger Republic.
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Take time to read speeches by Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo before and after the Biafra war. You will notice that their tones changed from “We’re” to “We will”. Before the war, they were confident, but after the war, they came to think deeper into the future, unsure. As Zik mounted podiums as Nigeria’s first president, he muttered words that “Nigeria is leading”. Post-war, he updated that “Nigeria will lead”. Across all indicators, they were not sure of the future.
Till today, Nigeria has not recovered, because We’re is now a loop of We Will. We do not want that in West Africa and this military exercise should come and end, no extensions to Niger Republic!
FRENCH NAVY SHIP MISTRAL PAYS A PORT CALL IN LAGOS, TO PARTICIPATE IN EXERCISE GRAND AFRICAN NEMO AND EXERCISE CROCODILE LIFT SCHEDULED FOR 9-15 OCTOBER 2023. FRENCH DEFENCE ATTACHE TO NIGERIA, COLONEL GUILLAUME DUJON ALSO PAID A COURTESY VISIT TO HEADQUARTERS WESTERN NAVAL COMMAND, APAPA, LAGOS.
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France and Nigeria doing drills, since when? I can do the 2 + 2 but let’s ostensibly wait for more information…
The people of Nigeria and their government are as predictable as day and night, it feels so stale and unimaginative.
The game is the game.