It’s A New Dawn —Comrade Shehu Sani

Comrade Shehu Sani, renowned civil rights activist, tells TONY ORILADE of the significance of Barack Obama’s victory

Obama’s victory is an inspiration. It is miraculous and it is a message of hope. Obama’s victory is an official and formal end to the politics of racism, deception and apartheid in America and the world over. It is the crowning of a struggle pioneered by the likes of Martin Luther King, Malcom X and all the leaders who laid down their lives and sacrificed their liberty to defend the ideals of rule of justice and equality. Obama’s victory is the beginning of a new world order. It is a declaration that we are in a 21st Century that requires new thinking, new focus, new orientation and new approach towards solving the myriad of socio-economic and political problems and challenges that confront our own world. Obama’s triumph will herald a new concept and context of the politics of the whole world. The very fact that a youth of African descent is the president of America is heartening. It means now that Africa has a representation in the world super power. Africa will now be respected worldwide. It is not enough for a black man to be President of the USA. It is a great opportunity for Africans to queue behind Obama and for the whole of the Third World to queue behind Obama to see to it that he succeeds as president. Obama’s performance as president will determine whether the black man is capable or not. There will be a lot of challenges before him. Enemies of progress and those who don’t want change will do everything to subvert and undermine him. It is our own duty as Africans, as people who desire a new world, to give him all the support he needs. Obama’s is coming at a very challenging moment for his country and the whole world. He has an opportunity to tackle issues based on his belief and dialogue; understanding and philosophy of continuous contact should be made to come to play. Problems of poverty, hunger and social strife in Africa should be his major preoccupation. The crisis in the Middle East that has defied solution, as a result of America’s blind support for Israel, is an issue he needs to tackle. He should immediately withdraw American troops that are viewed as an army of occupation and a drain on the American economy. He should embark on dialogue with Iran to solve the nuclear issue and should make relate well with his European allies, so that the burden of the whole world will be shared by developed and industrialised countries of the world. He should extend the hand of friendship to the likes of Venezuela and Bolivia. He should treat China as a partner. As a superpower, America has an obligation to lead by example. In the history of the world, there has always been a superpower; America as a superpower will be respected and dignified if Obama’s word becomes his bond and if he does not treat smaller nation with disdain. But there are many challenges confronting the world today–climate change, HIV, pollution, poverty in the Third World and conflict. Obama has the challenge to carry everybody, in and outside America, along. Again, the reform of the United Nations is very paramount so that other countries will also have a role to play and the smaller countries will have a sense of belonging. He should also emphasise strongly the reform of the global financial system that has made it difficult for smaller nations to survive. The key thing now is to restore US economy, restore the image of the United States across the world. That image is at its poorest as a result of George Bush’s presidency. Obama should take the issues that confront the underdeveloped countries seriously by empowering nations and empowering them towards industrialisation. The Nigerian government should emulate Obama.

Maurice Iwu’s comment that America needs to learn from Nigeria reveals the workings of a comedian’s mind. People like Iwu should be placed side by side the likes of Ali Baba, Julius Agwu and Klint da Drunk. It is an irony for such a man who has played a leading role in the bastardisation of the democratic process in Nigeria to have made such a statement. Iwu’s presence in our national discourse is a sore taste in our mouth. His conduct is an epitome of how not to establish a democratic state. He is a model of failure and represents the decadent section of the academic. American democracy is not free from faults, but it can’t be compared with Nigeria’s democracy. People in Nigeria, except in Lagos and Kano states, did not get elected on principles or values that got the blessing of the society they represent. Those who got into elective positions are there through a channel that is most unbecoming of democracy. In our democracy, there is confraternity of evil. Iwu is a representation of how far our democratic system has fared under Obasanjo, who was a mistake imposed on Nigeria. No matter what, there is a lot to learn from America democracy.