TANDJA MOMODOU: Its too late to cry when......

Thursday, 18th day of February, 2010, is one of the turning point in the political and leadership history of Africa in general and Nijar republic in particular. It was on same day and date that the good people of Nijar republic found themselves in a state of commotion at the early noon hours when the illegal and unconstitutional government of Tandja Momodou was toppled by General Adamu Haruna.
If we can recall, it was last year during the tail end of Tandja’s second tenure in office as the president of Nijar republic that he brought an innovation into the political system of Nijar by conducting a referendum that could give him a license to stay in office beyond the constitutional provisions and requirements. That attitude of legalizing what is illegal and constitutionalizing what is unconstitutional made the constitutional court and the legislative arm of Nijar republic to outrightly frowned and rejected it as it is unconstitutional. Tandja was not happy with their stand on the issue and as such he injudiciously used his power and dissolved both the constitutional court and legislative organ of Nijar so that he can achieve what he desired. This was followed by the purported and the so-called “referendum” in August, 2009 where he single-handedly (together with his political boys) organized, conducted, and produced out their desired result to the effect that the innocent people of Nijar republic have agreed by a majority vote, that Tandja should continue with the steering in of the mantle of leadership in Nijar.
Though, all that kind of political mutilations of dissolving the constitutional court, the legislative arm, as well as conducting the said referendum were plan and idea inculcated into Tandja’s mind by nobody other than Abubakar dan Dubai, bin Umar, and some few selfish individual ministers that have no regard for the democratic rule. Dan Dubai was the figure-head in Tandja’s journey to perpetuate himself in power without having recourse to its negative consequences. Tandja failed to appreciate the fact that dan Dubai is nobody other than a business tycoon who is not living in Nijar republic and whose primary aim is how to maximize his profits and nothing less, nothing more.
It has been a well known fact that Tandja had unconstitutionally extended his tenure in office against the will of most of the people of Nijar. It’s very lamentable and highly embarrassing to see how African leaders always want to perpetuate themselves in power and a times considered it as hereditary without respecting the rule of law, fundamental human right, and the rule of the game itself. Life ruler ship is their aims and in their absence they preferred their children to step into their shoes. For God’s sake, is this what we call a democracy? Is this what the developed countries practice or observe their democracy? I will not be taken by surprise to know that most of these African leaders know nothing about what a democracy is all about. Their mission(s) is nothing other than to find themselves in power, siphon the public funds and thereby enrich themselves.
It is now clear that Tandja has now bring to an end the nascent democracy that has come to stay in Nijar. Today, the fifth republic, the sixth unconstitutional republic, and Taandja himself are nowhere to be found. Now, Tandja is in detention as if he was not a president few days before his government was overthrown. He cannot even see his family as he wishes. This is certainly one of the consequences of going against the spirit of a constitution and the wishes of the masses. Tandja ought to have had learnt a lesson on what happened to the former Nijar president, Ba’are mai nasara, Mannuel Zalaya of Honduras, and captain Musa Dadis Camara of Guinea. Was Tandja unaware or has forgotten how those people lost their offices when they tried to perpetuate themselves in power? In fact, Ba’are mai nasara even lost his life in the process. Tandja was dumb, deaf, and blind when the African union and Ecowas appealed to him to respect the constitution and the rule of law by allowing people to elect who they want to govern or rule them. This led to the stoppage of the assistance given to Nijar by the African countries and that from the European Union. With all this situation, Tandja boldly said that there is no going back.
One of the touchy thing in Tandja’s journey to where he is today was how he treated the representative of Ecowas to Nijar. He gave him no single attention over the political tete-a-tete with the politicians on how to resolve the political tension in Nijar. The deed is done, and all become history. The nagging question is when are we going to be matured enough to handle our political problems without waiting for soldiers to handle them for us? Had it been that Mr Tandja had honorably moved aside after the expiration of his second term, I believe that definitely he would be remembered in Nijar in particular and the world at large as one of the successful president Nijar ever had. But reverse is the case. Today, he is only going to be remembered as Tandja whose government was toppled by the military men as a result of his individual selfishness by imposing himself to the people of Nijar and creating a political commotion in Nijar.
The Saturday marching, two days after the coup, by the people of Nijar showing their loyalty and support to the soldiers is a strong and clear testimony that they are fed-up with Tandja and his undemocratic, unconstitutional, and unreasonable extension of tenure in office. Though, hitherto to his time Tandja had insisted that he and he alone can rule Nijar.
The assertion of Tandja in a press conference that he has slaughter a Ram is now proved to the contrary. He might have had slaughtered the Ram from the back of his neck or from his tail. To this end, what happened to Tandja is one of the consequences of breaching the constitution of Nijar coupled with the deliberate refusal to take, consider, and act on the calls from different angles of the world to respect the rule of law and constitutionalism.
At this juncture, we are urging the military in Nijar to dispense justice in their government and to organize a free and fair election within a reasonable time and not to stay in power unreasonably. The embarrassing thing that happened to Mr Tandja should served as a lesson to the African leaders like him whose aim is to rule or stay in power for life at all coast.
Lastly, I am concluding this paper with a prayer, seeking refuge from the Almighty from all evils and harmful acts. May he also be our guardian in all our endeavours, ameen.