Editorial
President Ramaphosa’s Inauguration, Shabby Treatment Of President Tinubu – Enough Is Enough
Nigeria’s critical sacrifices and contributions to pull down the ignominious white apartheid regime in South Africa cannot be waved aside by any nation, person, body or institution.
In the days when Nigeria was buoyantly strong with revenues from petrodollars in the early Seventies and late Eighties, Nigeria assumed and played the role of the ‘big brother’ to many African nations – she bought over their national debts and paid their debtors. Nigeria represented the big brother that rescued and protected the black man, irrespective of its location across the world, from bullies.
Sadly, the disrespect of Nigeria did not start yesterday, even late president Mandela supervised the humiliation of Nigeria albeit he was a great beneficiary of Nigeria’s benevolence and financial support, especially during the apartheid regime.
Just yesterday, at the second term inauguration ceremony of president Ramaphosa, Nigeria’s president Bola Ahmed Tinubu was ridiculed by Ramaphosa during his handshake with African presidents that attended his official swearing-in ceremony. In a trending video, Ramaphosa ignored president Tinubu’s presence, irrespective of the fact that he (Tinubu) was standing directly in his front, (we don’t accept the view that president Tinubu was on the second row). That action is inexcusable and is a direct insult on the giant of Africa, Nigeria, on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian presidency. It’s unacceptable.
While some people will want to put the blame on Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and his officials for that insult; South African government officials, especially her Foreign Minister, must be held responsible for the sitting position of president Tinubu. How will officials of the South African government commit such an ‘error’, especially for an event of such importance that officially recognised the official presence of president Tinubu of Nigeria and go on to place him in a second row sitting position? The host nation determines the sitting arrangement and has the final say on the sitting position of visiting presidents at any ceremony. The South African minister of foreign Affairs must accept responsibility for the insult on president Tinubu, QED.
Going forward, diplomacy is a two-way relationship that’s based on mutual respect. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign affairs should send a strongly-worded letter to his South African counterpart, to protest the shabby treatment of President Tinubu at the inauguration ceremony of president Ramaphosa. If this is not done, as our elders say, “A day will come when the rat will challenge the lion to a wrestling contest.” Enough is enough with insults from the government of South Africa.
It is in the light of Nigeria’s foremost role and contributions to the fall of the apartheid regime, and the consequent release of late president Mandela from prison to be elected as the first black president of South Africa, that Nigeria and her presidents, irrespective of the gender or creed, must be accorded esteemed respect that is commensurate with her sacrifices for a free South Africa.