Forty years ago, a rebel leader by the name of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the son of a millionaire and army officer led the dissented Republic of Biafra and nation into one of its most tumultous and bloody civil wars to date. The war, spearheaded by efforts in Biafra caused the death of some one million people. President Goodluck Jonathan's spokesperson claimed that the president had chosen to appoint Bianca Ojukwu to the position of Senior Special Assistant of Diaspora Affairs and the position would come into effect immediately. The former rebel leader, now 77, has been hospitalized for the past few weeks in the United Kingdom. It is believed that this appointment was made in order to insure Jonathan's success in the important upcoming elections to take place in April.
This appointment to government position shows the power of political culture in Nigeria as well as a poor foundation of legitimacy within the nation. It illustrates the idea that as long as you can appoint a name that people respect into some form of power, people will have a greater positive response to your regime as a whole. Similarly, this demonstrates the idea of elite recruitment and leadership and how qualifications and experience are not the only things that can help a campaign. Rather, public opinion and trust has a greater effect on the outcome of an election. Likewise, it shows that because Nigeria's "democracy" is so new and fragile it is still deeply effected and manipulated by the divisions created by previous civil wars and violence.
No comments:
Post a Comment