Thread by @DefenseNigeria

DISCLAIMER:

Before throwing jabs you are free to do some FACT CHECKING. Do not hesitate to call me out publicly if there any inaccuracies. I will willingly bite on that humble pie....but dont count on it.

Sixty years after independence France's influence in West Africa remains all pervasive. It is time that francophone states to cut the umbilical cord and put an end to Françafrique.

Nigeria on its part can no longer feign ignorance in a majority francophone region.

Out of the 17 countries that make up West Africa, there are only 5 English speaking countries. The biggest English speaking country in Africa and home to the biggest English speaking city in the world is

is smack right in what is basically the Federation of French West Africa. Of the 5 Anglopone countries, the only other significant state is Ghana. Both Ghana and Nigeria account of 90% of the region's GDP

The region is also home to the most French military bases in Africa. The region accounts for the two longest running dictatorship in modern history. Cameroons Paul Biya is entering his 43rd year in power. The late Derby was in power for 32 years until the unfortunate incident.

His son has taken over the reins of power and the chances of him stepping down and handing over power to a civilian can as well be one in a thousand. With France vowing not tolerate any threat to Chad, you can as well make that one in a million.

As the biggest democracy in Africa, Nigeria has on four occasions used its military power to enforce democracy on three Anglophone states. Same way France has used its military power to crush any pro democracy movement that remotely threaten their puppets in power.

In the past Nigeria could afford to be nonchalant and go about her business. Events in these countries had no impact on Nigeria.

We no longer have this luxury. Those days are far gone. The country that fought very hard to break up the Nigerian Federation,

..and even provided financial and material aid to Biafra separatists during Nigeria's civil war, is now at our doorstep. Our backyard. Our front door. Our next door neighbour. The hood. Nigerians are yet to grasp the significance and sheer scale of this geopolitical disaster.

For the first time in history there are French military bases in seven ECOWAS member states, including every country that share a land border with Nigeria. How Nigeria's leaders let this happen has to be the biggest geopoltical blunder of the 20th century. The consequences

..are clear as night and day. Nigeria is mired in the longest war in its history. The entire region has been described as the middle East of Africa. Its the only part of the world, outside North Korea where autocratic regimes still hold political power. The region with the

..least developed nation in the world (UN estimate), Niger. 60 years on, francophone countries in Africa still do not have true independence and freedom from France. They put their treasuries in French bank. Contemplate the magnitude of returns for France. Those who trade forex

..will understand what this mean. Think of what the $500 billion these countries remit into the French Central Bank will fetch Paris when invested in the stock market. We talking hundreds of billions. These countries meanwhile are desperately poor. Underdeveloped.

No nation can develop without stability. For the first time the future well-being of Nigeria is almost dependent on these francophone states. If France continue to weild this insane level of influence, if they continue to host French military bases, if their leaders

..remain in perpetual servitude to France, it will be impossible for Nigeria to maximize her potential. The prerequisite peace and stabiiity Nigeria will needs in other to focus squarely on economic development will never come. That is why French military basis dot the region.

In the past the ability of Paris to directly influence events in Nigeria on a significant scale did not exist. The Mali situation changed all that. Ever since France intervened in Mali they never looked back. That one foothold was all Paris needed. A new era have arrived.

For those wondering what this is all about. In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle commissioned his adviser Jacques Foccart to build a network of personal contacts between the French leadership and the elites of the former French colonies.

These were often very personal connections, but they also had an opaque, very controlling character. The French came up with bizzare treaties that are still in force today. In exchange for military protection against attempted coups and the payment of hefty kickbacks,

..the leaders of these newly independent francophone states guaranteed French companies access to strategic resources. This is the secret behind the longevity of autocratic regimes in these countries. They sell out their people.

Addicted to power, they want to continue to serve France instead of serving the best interests of their people. The youths of these countries are too feeble minded to push their leaders into breaking up with this insane and unhealthy relationship with France. Its stunning.

As anti-French sentiments grows, Emmanual Macron starts hosting summits upon summits with African governments nobody asked for. Summits designed to give an air of legitimacy to their continuous presence in the region. The topics of these summits are often vague and pointless.

You hear stuffs like solutions for building sustainable cities in Africa, so as to meet the challenges posed by the massive urbanization in the coming decades or building bridges with artisans or some other lame topic that does not address real issues..

He convenes African heads of states instead of going to see them. He acts like a tyrant. Disrespects leaders of francophone countries. Its gotten to a point he is actually not hiding his will to forcefully maintain the relationship between Africa and France.

The most painful chapter, as i always mention is the ECOWAS Single Currency Project ECO. After a decade of preparation and planning, Emmanual Macron decided to hijack it at the last minute. Francophone states must rise up.

The CFA has to go. It is a ridiculous neo colonial stunt by the French that it should have gone 60 years ago. Francophones states should rise up and try to actually move towards true independence.