Remember when Fela Kuti sang about "dis-united “United” Nations"? Yeah, then with Reagan and Libya, Isreal vs Lebanon, Iran vs Iraq, "united" was the most innovative irony one could think of to describe the relationship of these east vs west blocks. But Fela was in the 80's and way before Twitter, so a lot of Beast of No Nations went unheard of.
Then came 2018 when the "International Criminal Court" who claims to be "participating in a global fight to end impunity, and... hold those responsible accountable for their crimes" invites the Sensei of impunity himself, His Fucking Holiness Muhammadu Buhari, to deliver a keynote address at the Rome Statute 20th Anniversary ceremony.
Just look at them all. When they dream I hope they can't sleep and they scream about it. ©ICC-CPI
Source: Twitter
Before I hand you to Twitter Nigeria to orchestrate the rest of the show, let me give you a little background on President Buhari. Dude rode on a largely free and fair elections conducted by an incumbent Goodluck Jonathan who thought his "ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian" and became president despite promising the "dog and the baboon will be soaked in blood." Much like that other dude who could shoot anyone on Times Square and still win the presidency.
This is a man who allegedly oversaw the killings of 100 Shiites, who flaunts court orders with finesse, and who hastily unleashes state military on his political enemies. He sent them after a self-actualization group, killed 100s of peaceful protesters, abducted its leader, and proscribed the group a terrorist organization. Same president who would later only urge the country to PRAY about his marauding Fulani herdsmen kinsmen, who are buoyed to carry out documented massacres of thousands of Nigerians in their local communities, as these miscreants seek to grab farmlands for their open grazing of cattle. I am not making these up. They are all very well documented. You can read this short debate/deliberation by the UK House of Lords on one of the recent unfortunate events that claimed over 200 lives.
This is a president who rigs election with desterity. Yet the ICC didn't invite him to the dock, but gave him a stage to deliver a keynote address on Human Rights. Someone just shoot me on the head and send me on the journey to the beautiful by 'an by.
Here I will share a few of the replies on that cursed tweet by the ICC. By irate Nigerians of course.
It is really a big shame that a man who has consistently disobeyed court orders and has kept people locked up for years without charging them to court, is being allowed to address the ICC simply because of personal, disproven claims of integrity. This is a man whose govt has been indicted in reports by Transparency International and the US govt.
— Yemi Web Master (@ScarTissue101) July 18, 2018
This is a man who has proven spectacularly incompetent in providing security and justice for a huge number of his own countrymen nationwide. This is a man who has come out to declare that he does not believe in the rule of law and the principle of "innocent until proven guilty".
By all standards, he's one of the worst specimens you guys could put on stage.
He should be in an ICC dock, not on stage.
I told ya... Here's another one. This one nailed the sarcasm.
when are u guys inviting Asad and Paul Biya to come and give their keynote speech? Compromised? Buhari is murderer, Tyrant and abuser of rule of law.... How did ICC get this low? Blood flowing in nig does not concern u guys? Becoming social club?
— Chikeka Igwenagu (@Biaframax) July 17, 2018
One last one...
Shame on the administrators of ICC, maybe you’ve plans of receiving some money from Nigeria and that’s why you celebrate the man who has performed gruesome human rights abuses as proven with physical proofs. It’s a shame criminals now seem to run the international criminal court
— S. Onyebuchieze (@iMatanata) July 18, 2018
It sure is an interesting thread. If yo want to catch up, here's the link:
https://twitter.com/IntlCrimCourt/status/1019245590029524993
- IntlCrimCourt
Which brings me to the concluding question?
Does the twitter handler even read the responses and relay to his superiors? Do they care at all?
If you are pondering along with me, allow Fela's Beast of No Nation play motif on your mind. Enjoy Wail on.