VIEWPOINT
By Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
WHEN REBELLION IS A VIRTUE by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
Unfolding events in Africa continue to intrigue the world and the fact that no less than seven military coups have been successfully effected in no less than seven African countries in the last three years gives cause for concern.
What is the cause for these violent acts of mutiny and rebellion and can there be any justification for such behaviour?
How legitimate were the mandates of those that have been toppled and are the soldiers that have carried out these ostensibly illegal acts of insurrection, revolution and treason and taken power by the barrel of a gun criminals and rebels that should be shot at the stake or God-sent and divinely-inspired heroes, liberators and deliverers of their respective countries and people?
Can their actions be justified in some cases or are they appropriate for all and can such a course of action ever be deemed appropriate for our country Nigeria?
When is rebellion a virtue and when is it a curse?
When is mutiny, revolution and a call to arms appropriate and when is it not?
What does one do with civilian dictators and sit-tight Presidents who have sold and mortgaged the future and destiny of their nation to the Western imperialists and neo-colonial powers and who torment their people and refuse to leave office.
These are just some of the questions that yours truly seeks to answer in this contribution
Enjoy the ride!
Enjoy the ride!
On the 13th March 1962, in his address on the first anniversary of the Alliance for Progress, John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States of America, said the following:
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable".
In the history of humanity few have enunciated such a profound yet obvious home truth as President Kennedy has done with these famous words.
Sadly even fewer have learnt anything from them.
Those that doubt this have much to learn.
Consider the following.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Biya of Cameroon have ruled their African countries for 23 and 42 years respectively.
Approximately one week ago they were both constrained to sack, retire, redeploy and replace much of their Military High Command, senior Army commanders and thousands of commissioned and non-commissioned officers in the light of the wave of military coups that have swept West and Central Africa and just one day after the one that took place in Gabon.
This was clearly a panic measure on both their parts. They did it out of rabid fear and in a desperate attempt to thwart, pre-empt and prevent a military coup and stave off an anticipated mutiny in their respective Armed Forces.
Unfortunately for them such peripheral and ineffectual remedies and desperate attempts to ward off all opposition and dissent in an attempt to hold on to power forever will not work because their so-called "mandates" lack legitimacy and they do not have the backing of the people.
Worse still they are both oblivious of and totally blind to the rationale and ethos of mutiny and armed rebellion and are clearly ignorant of the essence and motivation for military coups.
Simply put, no matter who your senior military commanders are, whether the old or the new and no matter how many times you sack, retire, redeploy or change them, when you are an illegitimate, depraved and evil leader who crushes, murders, persecutes and incarcerates members of the opposition and who rigs elections, refuses to leave power, torments the people and imposes a corrupt, bloodthirsty and blood-lusting dictatorship and dynasty of barbarism and tyranny on his nation, coups, mutiny, rebellion, revolution and insurrection become inevitable: it is only a question of time.
The great Mexican revolutionary and courageous hero, Emiliano Zapata said "if there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the Government".
This sentiment is what we see playing out in the hearts and minds of most Africans today: no justice for the people and no peace for the Government.
In addition to that the Holy Bible says "there is no peace for the wicked".
Is it any wonder that sit tight rulers and life-long dictators like Kagame, Biya and others are scared of their own shadow, are shivering under their beds and enjoy no peace?
It is a fulfilment of scripture: it cannot be resisted or broken.
And what is our response to these vile, unjust and wicked leaders who, like King Louis XIV (the Sun King) of France, regard themselves as being the living manifestation and embodiment of the state?
Surely it is nothing but hate, defiance, contempt, disdain and rebellion.
It is the same response that you will get from a wounded and cornered dog whose back is up against a wall: it will strike back and fight for its very life in the most ferocious, gallant and fearless manner.
That is where most Africans that are saddled with life-time rulers and civilian dictators in their respective countries are today.
They harbour a burning rage and violent anger in their hearts and minds and rebellion and revolution is brewing in their spirits and souls.
Read full gist
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/09/when-rebellion-is-a-virtue-by-femi-fani-kayode/
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