Advice for The Gambia’s outgoing president

Sir: The number one advice for the outgoing President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, is that he should not only leave but also to leave behind a robust treasury, so that he can be appreciated by posterity. I tender my heartfelt appreciation to the United Nations (UN) for giving Jammeh no option but to respect the outcome of the election that indicated the sovereign will of the people. UN should ensure that Jammeh know no peace if he does not quit office in due time.

I am imploring the UN to strategise also on helping Nigeria end the insurgency brought on her by miss-governance. Too many Nigerians are getting impoverished and dying from hunger and curable diseases that they have no money to cure. America has done well telling President Muhammadu Buhari to beware of treating the Shiites the way Boko Haram was treated. Jammeh should beware of going the way of Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire. He should not lead Gambia into becoming another Burundi, Syria or Iraq. Despots should not be allowed to take cover under “internal affairs” for rabid injustice and official terrorism.

Nigeria’s constitution forbids “state religion”, but privileged Christians and Muslims keep struggling to impose Christianity and Islam as Nigeria’s official religions. How does one explain a situation in which Buhari was paying homage to Usumanu Danfodio, a jihad warrior, the day he was sworn-in as Nigeria’s President? Nigeria’s rulers prioritise Christian and Islamic pilgrimages in the allocation of scarce dollars. When will Nigeria’s rulers maintain legality? Buhari has no peace but war plan. In 2016, he budgeted more than six trillion naira and couldn’t account for it in terms of improved economy. He is unable to account for recovered looted funds, and has budgeted another more than seven trillion naira for 2017, saying that much of it would go into providing security. Is security possible where there is no politico-economic equity and justice?

Many of Nigeria’s farmers are under perpetual threat of herdsmen. What is the hope of crop farmers in Nigeria? Where lies hope for political and economic peace and prosperity, when GMB is opposing restructuring and spending wantonly on weapons? How can the UN help Gambia, Nigeria, and even Africa?

•Oyeniran Abioje, University of Ilorin, Kwara State