FRENCH RESOLUTION LESSON
I’ve witnessed quite a lot over the years. History is a great teacher, but humanity often fails to learn from it, which is why history tends to repeat itself. The lessons from any tragedy can be the blessings that enable a person to take a different trajectory instead of repeating the mistakes that led to that tragedy. Unfortunately, most people never learn.
Today, I want to briefly discuss the history of the French Revolution. If you Google the causes or reasons for the French Revolution, you’ll find exactly what I’m about to share here. I’m not going to delve into the details of the French Revolution—I don’t have the best memory—but I did learn some valuable lessons from it.
The French Revolution took place between 1789 and 1799—a period of 10 years. It was a series of revolutionary changes that significantly impacted the political, social, and economic life of the French nation. It began during the reign of King Louis XVI. What were the primary causes?
First, France supported the American Revolution and War for Independence. As the war ended, and in recognition of their contribution, France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States. However, as the war ended, there was a poor harvest of grains. The king’s extravagant expenditures during this period and his involvement in seven wars led to the economy going bankrupt. The poor grain harvest resulted in the price of bread skyrocketing, causing widespread hunger among the poor. The king, however, did not listen; he was very proud and arrogant, like many aristocracies. Instead of addressing the plight of the people, he increased taxes.
Not only did the king fail the people, but the abbots and bishops, who collected tithes from the citizenry, also showed no understanding of the hardships the poor were enduring. They demanded more tithes, not in money but in grains, from those already struggling. Eventually, the situation reached a boiling point, and the people revolted.
Similarly, in Nigeria, we’ve been witnessing a series of battles led by the government on various fronts. I won’t delve into issues like ECOMOG, but the internal crises of banditry, secessionist agitation in the eastern part of Nigeria, and criminal activities by herdsmen in different regions are alarming. Despite being a fertile country, there is food scarcity. Secondly, the expenditures under the Buhari administration, and now the Tinubu administration, have been reckless, leading us to borrow excessively, just to prop up the naira. People are complaining; I hear the call for revolution. I’m not a prophet, but on social media, everyone is talking about mass protests and revolution. People are crying out from hunger and desperation, with the current economic situation being dire.
A similar situation occurred in Kenya, where several years of drought were followed by the election of President Ruto. Instead of listening to the cries of the people, he imposed taxes that primarily targeted the poor. What happened in Kenya might not end quickly. In Nigeria, I can hear the drumbeats of revolution from different segments, particularly among Generation Z. The problem with the oligarchy is that their ears are stuffed with pride, greed, and enjoyment. They believe that their strength lies in the military, police, and internal security forces. However, the number of soldiers, policemen, and security personnel in any country, including Nigeria, is an infinitesimal part of the general population.
Moreover, the armed forces, police, and all security agencies are overstretched due to the internal security challenges we face. Ironically, look at Kenya; they are sending policemen to Haiti while their country is surrounded by crises, such as Al-Shabab in Somalia. Now, the Nigerian drumbeat is becoming too loud, and I am genuinely worried.
I have never been in government, nor have I ever done contracts. I don’t frolic around politicians, and I have not gained anything special from them. If they invite me to give lectures, they pay me, and I leave because it’s my intellectual property and my contribution to society. The leadership of this country, Nigeria, and many African countries seem incapable of learning from history. I just pray that the revolution I hear being discussed on social media and other platforms does not take place in Nigeria. If it does, it will be terrible. What I have dreamed of and seen years ago will be catastrophic.
Remember Sudan? When the revolution happened, it was terrible, and they have not recovered. Remember Libya? It was catastrophic, and they have not recovered. Even Egypt, though Sisi is in power, has not fully stabilized. When revolutions occur, when people revolt, when there is agitation for secession like in Yugoslavia, the outcome is disastrous. Those who have the power to rectify the situation in Nigeria need to act quickly because when the storm hits, it will be too late.
I recall Nicolae Ceaușescu in Romania and the revolution in Bulgaria—I have seen a lot. Let history teach us; let us be good students.
I remain your friend, Dr. Charles Apoki.
