Nigeria- Morocco gas pipeline is imperialist- inspired ( 2)
AND second instance, “This brings to mind a statement credited to Sir Charles Arden- Clarke, the Governor of Gold Coast ( now Ghana); published in Accra on May 31, 1956, by the West African Pilot. It reads, “Accra, May 31, The Gold Coast Governor, Sir Charles Arden- Clarke, has advised the Northern Territories Chiefs to end their Treaties with Britain of friendship and protection so that the territories could achieve independence as an integral part of an independent Gold Coast” ( Harold Dappa- Biriye’s “Causes of Communal Violence in Rivers State,” in “Harold J. R. Dappa- Biriye: Essays and Speeches. Volume One,” pp 366- 368).
The regional minorities avail themselves the provisions of these pre- colonial Treaties to totally reject the potentially violence- prone NMGP. We are not interested in war or violence but the progress of our people and Nigerians. Since some of these treaties, especially those concerning mineral resources, are still valid in independent Nigeria, we align with Dr Biriye informing the Federal Government and the British that they have the moral obligation of initiating conference among treaty parties for the purpose of diffusing tension occasioned by the NMGP.
Such conference will endorse and implement full- blown Marshall Plan for the entire Niger Delta by Europe before any gas pipeline can be built to carry natural gas to the latter. Call it the Niger Delta- Europe Gas
Pipeline, NEGP; if you will. Minus that the NNPCL should reroute the NMGP from Daura in Katsina State to Morocco. Decoding Moroccan Imperialism No holy war is ever fought for the glory of God. It is always for gold, foreign women, salt mines, access to the sea, etc. At the Battle of Tondibi in 1591, the Sultanate of Morocco conquered the Songhai Empire ruled by Askia Ishag II. The invader was in search of gold mines and thought nothing of killing fellow Muslims.
Songhai was the leading black power in West Africa. Its conquest symbolised the conquest of Black Africa. Moroccan imperial rights over West Africa, respected by the Islamic world, is based on the Tondibi encounter. Therefore, you must understand where Morocco is coming from demanding full membership of
ECOWAS in 2017. The interloper knows it must be officially close to West Africans to control their lives and resources. You can argue and rationalise but as long as Morocco is concerned, its ECOWAS membership marks the second conquest of Black Africa.
The NMGP is the first supranational initiatives in West Africa by Morocco. Common currency, Arabic language, defense, citizenship, maritime, etc, will follow. You tolerated Moroccan membership of ECOWAS and the pipeline followed. Tolerate the pipeline and other measures inimical to your survival will follow. Morocco must never open the Gates of Hell. We are not in 1591.
Eke can be reached via: chigachieke@ yahoo. co. uk, or 081 3515 9313.