Quite unusually, the exit of former President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia at the age of 97 was the first of events, each of which on its own was monumental. The return of ex-Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to the country after 10 years makes history on the continent. Equally not funny is the imprisonment of former Mauritanian President Mohamed Aziz for alleged corruption and money laundering. Not to be left out is the jailing of ex-Nigerian lawmaker, Farouk Lawan, especially for a mouth-watering seven concurrent years out of consecutive 19.
Even at world standard, it is rare for an ex-leader to live up to 97, over 30 of which was spent after leaving office. Kaunda’s lot was not as smooth as portrayed, even on his death. After ruling consecutively for at least 20 years, popularity waned. In the typical African style, Kaunda was tamed, with severe criticisms at home and abroad. He had to go. The only regret was that the new man was to prove not better, if not worse. The average African leader abuses office in various forms. He either loots the treasury or descends on opponents/rivals. That exactly was the tactics of the younger succeeding President Frederick Chiluba. It is the right of a man voted out of office or defeated in an election to seek another chance.
After losing the presidential election, Kaunda was to try his luck at the next attempt. Chiluba employed his fangs, as he declared Kaunda virtually persona non grata, much to the shock of the outside world. Africa was particularly alarmed as Chiluba declared Kaunda a non-Zambian. Indeed, Chiluba declared his predecessor (Kaunda) a Malawian, formerly Nyasaland, the erstwhile third arm of the defunct Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The international furore caused by that controversy was such that other world leaders close to him had to prevail on Kaunda to give up. And he did, a gesture, which enabled him (Kaunda) to live quietly in retirement in Zambia till he died. No doubt, he was a man of history, except that the history did not end with him. Kaunda’s oppressor, Chiluba, at the end of his two-term tenure, developed kidney problems and sought treatment at the church of Nigeria’s T.B. Joshua in Lagos. Chiluba returned to Zambia and died. Another African leader who died at the same church while seeking medical treatment was President Atta Mills of Ghana.
When former President Mohamed Aziz of Mauritania appeared on his country’s political scene in 2009, it was with a promise of better times. But at the end of the 10th year in 2019, it was not a good record. Corruption, money laundering? So was the staggering allegation against the former Mauritanian leader. The man also recorded himself in African history lately, with imprisonment for corruption and money laundering. For any executive head of state in Africa to be so convicted is very, very rare, mostly because he is so protected under the constitution.
Is the following a sad or happy moment in African history? Former President of Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, returned home after 10 years abroad during which he stood trial at the International Criminal Court, at The Hague, Netherlands, for crimes against humanity. But how did the crimes commence? Former President Gbagbo lost national election in 2010 to a former World Bank official, Alassane Quattara. In any struggling democracy, that was a moment of glory for the country to count among civilised nations. Rather, Gbagbo chose to join the notorious ones on the continent by rejecting the results of the election he conducted. The stalemate he created precipitated uncontrollable violence between his supporters and the other side. The most ridiculous was the general observation that a female member of Gbagbo’s family played a major role in heightening the crisis.
Nigeria, under former President Goodluck Jonathan, spearheaded peace moves to ensure that victorious Quattara assumed office. At the end of the chaos, Gbabgo was arrested and handed over to th International Criminal Court. He was, however, found not guilty and discharged. The wife, Simone, was tried back home in Cote d’Ivoire, was equally lucky and discharged. One of the bitter experiences for Gbagbo during his exile was that, while taking a walk in Paris, France, he was recognised and violently attacked. How much that experience accelerated his return to Abidjan was not clear. The assault on a Paris street on a former African Head of State was disgraceful enough but his earlier acquittal by the ICC was a personal achievement for Gbagbo. In contrast, Liberia’s former Head of State, Charles Taylor, is still languishing in a European jail following his conviction by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Also, the dismissal of charges against Gbagbo at ICC, and against his wife, Simone, both at the Hague and Abidjan, also for crimes against humanity, was more of blessing for the former first family of Cote d’Ivoire
Where does the lesson start? At the Presidential Palace in Abidjan. Towards the end of his two-term tenure, President Quattara gave the impression he was ready to go, except that the body language was that ONLY his candidate would succeed him, that irritating mentality of the ruling elite in Africa. The rumblings went on for some time but, with the COVID-19 crisis all over the world, the presidential favourite reportedly died. That was a kind of discomfort. Probably caught unprepared, the ruling party had to rescue itself with the only immediately available substitute, Quattara, even if for the third term.
Another man to learn the lesson of Cote d’Ivoire was ex-President Gbagbo who survived the civil war, won the ICC trial for crimes against humanity and now faces an uncertain future not the least because of the impending divorce of his marriage. His uncertain future requires mainly rest, peace and international respect. The most unfortunate aspect of former President Gbagbo’s lot in the episode of the past decade was that, within days of his return to Abidjan, amid an incredibly subsisting public acclamation, he filed for divorce. As uncomplimentary as that might be, it is not an unusual development after such separation forced by circumstances on the couple.
Gbagbo is simply following the standard set by the South African nationalist, Nelson Mandela, who, after 27 years’ incarceration, returned to divorce his wife, Winnie. After 27 years or 10 years, neither divorce is tolerable.
No matter how forthright the recent conviction of ex-member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan might appear, it is nothing to smile about. Instead, the conviction not only still exposes the dirty aspect of our public life but also raises more questions on moral issues. Poor Farouk Lawan whose conviction rendered him so prominent as to create the wrong impression that war against corruption is being carried to high places. There are scores of others in the National Assembly who are not better than bench warmers merely collecting millions of naira monthly allowances. Hiding from the public how many millions accrues to each National Assembly member is in itself a form of corruption to keep them pliant.
Yet, Farouk Lawan should carry the blame for his guilt. Instead of exploiting his prominent status for personal enrichment, he should have been more strictly concerned with enhancing his integrity. This is not to forget reminding the authorities that when the fuel subsidy scam was exposed in 2012, those alleged to be involved were more than Farouk Lawan. Where are the others, party members, party leaders, businessmen, etc? There were state governors already chatting with EFCC while others were already facing charges in court. All they had to do was to metamorphose into the ruling group and be appointed as new ministers (to) have files of their financial crimes withdrawn from EFCC. In the same country under the same government?
In a way, we henceforth enjoy some blackmail that only southerners or Christians are facing punishment for their loot. At least, Farouk Lawan is a northerner and a Muslim. What does it matter whoever are the looters and whatever is their religion?