Fellow Nigerians, I finally found my way to Kigali, Rwanda, two
weeks ago. I had procrastinated and postponed that journey for too
long, for no justifiable reason. I visit Nairobi quite regularly
and could easily have travelled to Rwanda, as part of my trip, but
it never happened because for once, I simply did not put my mind to
it. My interest in Rwanda had been stirred by recent news and
events in that country for some years now. I had heard and read so
much about the amazing transformation going on in a country that
witnessed one of the deadliest civil wars in 1994, just about the
time Nigeria was going through the June 12, 1993 Presidential
election crisis. Today, Rwanda has virtually recovered physically,
even if not psychologically, from the scourge of that tragic,
destructive and devastating war but our dear beloved country
Nigeria is yet to come out of the after-effect of the political
imbroglio which culminated in the death of the two prime actors in
the June 12 1993 aftermath, Chief MKO Abiola and General Sani
Abacha.
My decision to travel eventually came from a simple flight from
Accra to Lagos on RwandAir a few weeks ago. Sorry if I’m
advertising the airline but I was pleasantly surprised to fly such
a beautiful and brand new A330-200 aircraft belonging to a national
carrier of a country that had been so ravaged by an internecine war
. The crew was extremely warm, courteous and dutiful. There was no
sign amongst them of the tribal warfare that had almost practically
sunk and sucked the country into the abyss. They were all smiles
and interacted with one another like brother and sister. It was a
remarkable throwback to Nigeria of yesteryears when there was no
distrust or enmity between us even though we faithfully clung to
our tribal groupings. Back to Rwandair! The food was excellent for
a 45-minute flight. The journey was smooth and the timing was spot
on, unlike our epileptic airlines, where interminable delay is the
order of the day.
That was it. I was sold instantly on the Rwandan magic. I needed
to experience first-hand what had changed and was making these
people tick and preform near miracles in the reconstruction and
rejuvenation of their beloved country. I wasted no time in calling
my ever-dependable travel agent, I call her Mrs A, and she booked
me from Lagos to Kigali, Kigali to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to
Kigali and Kigali to Lagos. To my surprise, the fare was very
reasonable and affordable. I made up my mind to explore Africa more
than anywhere else this year with this Airlie and other African
Airlines like Kenyan Airways and Ehtiopian Airways who also have a
very good fleet of aircraft and dependable and reliable service and
safety history. It is a big shame that most of us have flown too
many times to Europe, America and Asia but know practically nowhere
in Africa. For as long as RwandAir remains efficient and
affordable, I will remain its self-appointed Ambassador.
The appointed day was very soon upon me. I had no anxieties when
packing and preparing for the trip as I often have when flying
abroad with some of our Nigerian airlines. The flight from Lagos to
Kigali was wonderful. It arrived with some passengers from Accra
and picked those of us from Nigeria. We flew for a little under
four hours. The Business class was not very full despite the fact
that some Access Bank executives were on the flight for their
retreat in Kigali. RwandAir needs maximum publicity to market such
a fantastic brand. I love the availability of WiFi during the
flight. Some major international airlines, including the much
vaunted British Airways, are yet to have these feature on their
flights yet those managing RwandAir have seen the vision and
realise that this is one of the ways to enhance the travel
experience of their passengers. I am very active on social media
and was able to communicate and update my social media accounts
throughout the flight thus ensuring that I missed out on nothing
during the entire flight. There was never a shortage of champagne,
but I indulged a bit requesting for one glass only before reclining
and stretching out to catch a much-needed nap.
The announcement by the Captain woke me up and brought me back
to reality as we started our descent into Kigali. The crew went
through the usual ritual of getting the cabins ready for landing.
In minutes the massive plane opened it flaps and landed perfectly.
The plane taxied to its parking bay in the small airport. The door
was swung open, by the crew and not by unknown forces, and we were
told we could disembark. I was the first to leave, anxious to get
to my hotel. I approached the Immigration counters and was invited
by an officer who granted me visa on arrival. The visa cost 30 US
Dollars and the process was easy and smooth. No one requested for
tonnes of documentation or any gratification to get what was
clearly my entitlement. I went to the luggage claims area after
passing my handbags through x-ray machine. I picked my suitcases
and put them on a trolley which was free of charge.
DJ Cuppy and I had spoken before my trip and she had mentioned a
few good hotels to try. I readily settled for the Marriott Kigali.
I walked out of the airport and located a taxi rank. I got a driver
in little time and we drove to the hotel about 25 minutes away. I
did not regret my choice. The hotel was reasonably priced and very
comfy. I had a quick check-in, showered and went straight to
bed.
I woke up in the morning to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast. I hired
a car to take a tour of Kigali and enjoyed taking in the atmosphere
of a battered but recovered nation. After two nights, I headed to
South Africa and landed at about 2a.m. By 3a.m, I was in my hotel
in Sandton. No unnecessary argument with the front desk officer, I
was granted early check-in. Elsewhere, I would have been punished
for arriving too early and advised to wait till 3p.m. but South
Africa understands tourism.
I settled to my meetings in Johannesburg and spent my two days
well. One of my plans was to meet the aging and ailing Winnie
Mandela, one of the greatest icons of the anti-apartheid struggle.
Thanks to my friends, Ms Cebo Hlatshwayo and Mr Malcolm X, an
appointment was arranged pronto. I had met Winnie Mandela about 14
years ago at the 70th birthday of Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion
and remain one of her biggest fans till this day. We were minutes
to her home in Soweto when we received a call that she was being
rushed to hospital. What a shame, I soliloquised. We decided to go
to a nearby restaurant to sample some local cuisine. I was humbled
when Winnie called Malcolm from hospital just to offer her
apologies to me. She promised to see me before flying out that
night if the doctors released her to go home. Winnie kept her word
and we met for about 30 minutes before I headed to the Oliver Tambo
Airport to catch my flight back to Kigali.
There is so much happening in Africa that I hope to capture in
the books I’m working on. The story of Rwanda is one that I believe
every Nigerian should study and understand well. It seems we did
not learn much from our own civil war experience. At the rate, and
the way, Nigeria is going, we need special prayers not to go the
way of Rwanda. In case the story of Rwanda is strange to you,
please, allow me to give you a quick summary. The genocide that
rocked Rwanda is better left to the imagination. Like all pogroms
the world over, it started with one ethnic group hating the other,
in this case the Hutus hated the Tutsis with so much passion and
venom. It is always difficult to determine the source or cause of
such monumental dislike for a fellow human being. The situation
gets worse when leaders who should discourage such malady actually
encourage and partake in the orgy of violence.
In Rwanda, the Hutu were said to have had a pathological hatred
for the Tutsi. I stumbled on the Hutu Commandments and I had goose
bumps all over me. I wondered why anyone would hate another being
in such ungodly manner. Let me share some with you:
“All Hutus must know that the Tutsi woman wherever she may be,
is serving the Tutsi ethnic group. In consequence, any Hutu who
does the following is a traitor:
acquires a Tutsi wife
acquires a Tutsi mistress
acquires a Tutsi secretary or dependent
All Hutus must know that our Hutu daughters are more worthy and
more conscientious in their role of woman, spouse and mother. Are
they not more beautiful, good secretaries and more sincere!
Hutu women, be vigilant and bid your husbands, brothers and sons
to come to their senses.
All Hutus must know the Tutsi is dishonest in business. His only
goal is ethnic superiority…”
Now, as if this is not bad enough, wait for this, my dear
reader:
“In consequence, any Hutu who does the following is a
traitor:
whoever makes an alliance with Tutsi in business
whoever invests his money or state money in a Tutsi company
whoever lends money or borrows it from a Tutsi
whoever grants favours to Tutsi in business (granting of import
license, bank loans, building parcel, public tender offers…)
The strategic political, administrative, economical, military
and security positions must be reserved for Hutu.
The education (students, teachers) must be of Hutu majority.
The Rwandan Armed Forces must be exclusively Hutu. The war
experience in 1990 teaches us this lesson. No military man should
marry a Tutsi woman…”
This was how the Hutu clan brainwashed their own people. Isn’t
this similar to what is going on in our own country? Politicians
daily regale us with their predilection for restructuring on the
basis of primordial tribal sentiments when the restructuring that
this country needs is on a political, social and economic front,
devoid of religious or ethnic considerations.
Anyway, Rwanda exploded as the warmongering protagonists had
wished and in no time, a million lives were wasted by blood-sucking
bigots and jingoists.
I was stunned when I visited the genocide museum. It brought
home the grim reality of war in a way in which history books,
documentaries and other works of art can never do. We must commend
the government and people of Rwanda for preserving this important
moment in the country’s history. Emmanuel, my driver, brought the
reality home when he blatantly refused to enter the museum. I asked
him why and his response was that “I have both my parents there…” I
didn’t understand him at first. I thought they worked in the place.
I prodded further, and he told me sadly that he lost his parents to
the senseless war and they are buried in that museum. Perhaps if
our country had preserved some of the relics and experiences of the
Civil War that almost nearly tore us apart and led to millions of
deaths, we would not be beating down what we should realise is a
well-trodden path to destruction and perdition.
I had tears in my eyes as I toured the well-kept monument. The
tears were not only for Rwanda but for the unseen future of my
country where ignorance and our unique ability to lose sight of
history is leading us to a ruinous date with the destiny of war. My
fervent prayer continues to be that reason and good leadership will
prevail in Nigeria, and we will be brought away from the brink of
the grave disaster, that our foolhardy leaders appear to be
steering us towards. I bought many books, in fact every book
written in English. It is one important history I cannot afford to
ignore or forget. The lessons are of flaws in humanity leading to a
human calamity. Those who are beating the drums of war should
please cool temper. They will probably be the first to flee and
disappear when the first shots of battle ring out. It is the
ordinary man, woman and child that will suffer the most.
Indeed, war is never a tea party …
Fellow Nigerians, I finally found my way to Kigali, Rwanda, two
weeks ago. I had procrastinated and postponed that journey for too
long, for no justifiable reason. I visit Nairobi quite regularly
and could easily have travelled to Rwanda, as part of my trip, but
it never happened because for once, I simply did not put my mind to
it. My interest in Rwanda had been stirred by recent news and
events in that country for some years now. I had heard and read so
much about the amazing transformation going on in a country that
witnessed one of the deadliest civil wars in 1994, just about the
time Nigeria was going through the June 12, 1993 Presidential
election crisis. Today, Rwanda has virtually recovered physically,
even if not psychologically, from the scourge of that tragic,
destructive and devastating war but our dear beloved country
Nigeria is yet to come out of the after-effect of the political
imbroglio which culminated in the death of the two prime actors in
the June 12 1993 aftermath, Chief MKO Abiola and General Sani
Abacha.
My decision to travel eventually came from a simple flight from
Accra to Lagos on RwandAir a few weeks ago. Sorry if I’m
advertising the airline but I was pleasantly surprised to fly such
a beautiful and brand new A330-200 aircraft belonging to a national
carrier of a country that had been so ravaged by an internecine war
. The crew was extremely warm, courteous and dutiful. There was no
sign amongst them of the tribal warfare that had almost practically
sunk and sucked the country into the abyss. They were all smiles
and interacted with one another like brother and sister. It was a
remarkable throwback to Nigeria of yesteryears when there was no
distrust or enmity between us even though we faithfully clung to
our tribal groupings. Back to Rwandair! The food was excellent for
a 45-minute flight. The journey was smooth and the timing was spot
on, unlike our epileptic airlines, where interminable delay is the
order of the day.
That was it. I was sold instantly on the Rwandan magic. I needed
to experience first-hand what had changed and was making these
people tick and preform near miracles in the reconstruction and
rejuvenation of their beloved country. I wasted no time in calling
my ever-dependable travel agent, I call her Mrs A, and she booked
me from Lagos to Kigali, Kigali to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to
Kigali and Kigali to Lagos. To my surprise, the fare was very
reasonable and affordable. I made up my mind to explore Africa more
than anywhere else this year with this Airlie and other African
Airlines like Kenyan Airways and Ehtiopian Airways who also have a
very good fleet of aircraft and dependable and reliable service and
safety history. It is a big shame that most of us have flown too
many times to Europe, America and Asia but know practically nowhere
in Africa. For as long as RwandAir remains efficient and
affordable, I will remain its self-appointed Ambassador.
The appointed day was very soon upon me. I had no anxieties when
packing and preparing for the trip as I often have when flying
abroad with some of our Nigerian airlines. The flight from Lagos to
Kigali was wonderful. It arrived with some passengers from Accra
and picked those of us from Nigeria. We flew for a little under
four hours. The Business class was not very full despite the fact
that some Access Bank executives were on the flight for their
retreat in Kigali. RwandAir needs maximum publicity to market such
a fantastic brand. I love the availability of WiFi during the
flight. Some major international airlines, including the much
vaunted British Airways, are yet to have these feature on their
flights yet those managing RwandAir have seen the vision and
realise that this is one of the ways to enhance the travel
experience of their passengers. I am very active on social media
and was able to communicate and update my social media accounts
throughout the flight thus ensuring that I missed out on nothing
during the entire flight. There was never a shortage of champagne,
but I indulged a bit requesting for one glass only before reclining
and stretching out to catch a much-needed nap.
The announcement by the Captain woke me up and brought me back
to reality as we started our descent into Kigali. The crew went
through the usual ritual of getting the cabins ready for landing.
In minutes the massive plane opened it flaps and landed perfectly.
The plane taxied to its parking bay in the small airport. The door
was swung open, by the crew and not by unknown forces, and we were
told we could disembark. I was the first to leave, anxious to get
to my hotel. I approached the Immigration counters and was invited
by an officer who granted me visa on arrival. The visa cost 30 US
Dollars and the process was easy and smooth. No one requested for
tonnes of documentation or any gratification to get what was
clearly my entitlement. I went to the luggage claims area after
passing my handbags through x-ray machine. I picked my suitcases
and put them on a trolley which was free of charge.
DJ Cuppy and I had spoken before my trip and she had mentioned a
few good hotels to try. I readily settled for the Marriott Kigali.
I walked out of the airport and located a taxi rank. I got a driver
in little time and we drove to the hotel about 25 minutes away. I
did not regret my choice. The hotel was reasonably priced and very
comfy. I had a quick check-in, showered and went straight to
bed.
I woke up in the morning to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast. I hired
a car to take a tour of Kigali and enjoyed taking in the atmosphere
of a battered but recovered nation. After two nights, I headed to
South Africa and landed at about 2a.m. By 3a.m, I was in my hotel
in Sandton. No unnecessary argument with the front desk officer, I
was granted early check-in. Elsewhere, I would have been punished
for arriving too early and advised to wait till 3p.m. but South
Africa understands tourism.
I settled to my meetings in Johannesburg and spent my two days
well. One of my plans was to meet the aging and ailing Winnie
Mandela, one of the greatest icons of the anti-apartheid struggle.
Thanks to my friends, Ms Cebo Hlatshwayo and Mr Malcolm X, an
appointment was arranged pronto. I had met Winnie Mandela about 14
years ago at the 70th birthday of Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion
and remain one of her biggest fans till this day. We were minutes
to her home in Soweto when we received a call that she was being
rushed to hospital. What a shame, I soliloquised. We decided to go
to a nearby restaurant to sample some local cuisine. I was humbled
when Winnie called Malcolm from hospital just to offer her
apologies to me. She promised to see me before flying out that
night if the doctors released her to go home. Winnie kept her word
and we met for about 30 minutes before I headed to the Oliver Tambo
Airport to catch my flight back to Kigali.
There is so much happening in Africa that I hope to capture in
the books I’m working on. The story of Rwanda is one that I believe
every Nigerian should study and understand well. It seems we did
not learn much from our own civil war experience. At the rate, and
the way, Nigeria is going, we need special prayers not to go the
way of Rwanda. In case the story of Rwanda is strange to you,
please, allow me to give you a quick summary. The genocide that
rocked Rwanda is better left to the imagination. Like all pogroms
the world over, it started with one ethnic group hating the other,
in this case the Hutus hated the Tutsis with so much passion and
venom. It is always difficult to determine the source or cause of
such monumental dislike for a fellow human being. The situation
gets worse when leaders who should discourage such malady actually
encourage and partake in the orgy of violence.
In Rwanda, the Hutu were said to have had a pathological hatred
for the Tutsi. I stumbled on the Hutu Commandments and I had goose
bumps all over me. I wondered why anyone would hate another being
in such ungodly manner. Let me share some with you:
“All Hutus must know that the Tutsi woman wherever she may be,
is serving the Tutsi ethnic group. In consequence, any Hutu who
does the following is a traitor:
acquires a Tutsi wife
acquires a Tutsi mistress
acquires a Tutsi secretary or dependent
All Hutus must know that our Hutu daughters are more worthy and
more conscientious in their role of woman, spouse and mother. Are
they not more beautiful, good secretaries and more sincere!
Hutu women, be vigilant and bid your husbands, brothers and sons
to come to their senses.
All Hutus must know the Tutsi is dishonest in business. His only
goal is ethnic superiority…”
Now, as if this is not bad enough, wait for this, my dear
reader:
“In consequence, any Hutu who does the following is a
traitor:
whoever makes an alliance with Tutsi in business
whoever invests his money or state money in a Tutsi company
whoever lends money or borrows it from a Tutsi
whoever grants favours to Tutsi in business (granting of import
license, bank loans, building parcel, public tender offers…)
The strategic political, administrative, economical, military
and security positions must be reserved for Hutu.
The education (students, teachers) must be of Hutu majority.
The Rwandan Armed Forces must be exclusively Hutu. The war
experience in 1990 teaches us this lesson. No military man should
marry a Tutsi woman…”
This was how the Hutu clan brainwashed their own people. Isn’t
this similar to what is going on in our own country? Politicians
daily regale us with their predilection for restructuring on the
basis of primordial tribal sentiments when the restructuring that
this country needs is on a political, social and economic front,
devoid of religious or ethnic considerations.
Anyway, Rwanda exploded as the warmongering protagonists had
wished and in no time, a million lives were wasted by blood-sucking
bigots and jingoists.
I was stunned when I visited the genocide museum. It brought
home the grim reality of war in a way in which history books,
documentaries and other works of art can never do. We must commend
the government and people of Rwanda for preserving this important
moment in the country’s history. Emmanuel, my driver, brought the
reality home when he blatantly refused to enter the museum. I asked
him why and his response was that “I have both my parents there…” I
didn’t understand him at first. I thought they worked in the place.
I prodded further, and he told me sadly that he lost his parents to
the senseless war and they are buried in that museum. Perhaps if
our country had preserved some of the relics and experiences of the
Civil War that almost nearly tore us apart and led to millions of
deaths, we would not be beating down what we should realise is a
well-trodden path to destruction and perdition.
I had tears in my eyes as I toured the well-kept monument. The
tears were not only for Rwanda but for the unseen future of my
country where ignorance and our unique ability to lose sight of
history is leading us to a ruinous date with the destiny of war. My
fervent prayer continues to be that reason and good leadership will
prevail in Nigeria, and we will be brought away from the brink of
the grave disaster, that our foolhardy leaders appear to be
steering us towards. I bought many books, in fact every book
written in English. It is one important history I cannot afford to
ignore or forget. The lessons are of flaws in humanity leading to a
human calamity. Those who are beating the drums of war should
please cool temper. They will probably be the first to flee and
disappear when the first shots of battle ring out. It is the
ordinary man, woman and child that will suffer the most.
Indeed, war is never a tea party …
Read more https://nairalaw.com/before-nigeria-goes-the-way-of-rwanda-by-dele-momodu/