Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri has shared his thoughts on the Niger Republic junta transition plan.
Bellnews recalls that the leader of the Niger junta, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, stated in a televised broadcast on Saturday night that the army will only hand over power to the civilian government in the next three years
Reacting to Tchani’s promise via a post on Instagram, Omokri stated that such an undertaking was worthless.
He argued that the coup plotters were simply looking for relief from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He pointed out that former military ruler, Sani Abacha also made the same promise.
Speaking further, he urged ECOWAS to apply more pressure in their sanctions and also shut down the embattled country’s internet.
He insisted that ECOWAS must make the junta a scapegoat or the effect of the coup will spread to other West African countries.
According to Omokri, “The so-called promise by the coup leader, General Tchiani, to hand over to civilians in three years is worthless. It is not even worth the value of the paper from which he read it. The man is just looking for relief from the ECOWAS, and if ECOWAS leaders give in, he will consolidate himself until another strongman removes him. Didn’t Abacha promise that his administration would be “brief”? Power corrupts, and absolute power, such as the type currently being wielded by Tchiani, corrupts absolutely.
“ECOWAS should continue with the squeeze in Niger. Why do they still have GSM and Internet data? They depend on the French-based Eutelsat. Shut it down. Shut them out of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications.
“Nobody should be rattled by Wagner forces in Niger. Wagner are merciless mercenaries. They fight for money. Without money, their appetite for Niger will soon dim. And Russia is not in a position to financially support Niger for a sustained period. It has its domestic issues to contend with.
“Consign Niger back to the Stone Age, and his own soldiers and people will eventually turn against him, and General Tchiani will be forced to flee to either Russia or their client states like Mali or Burkina Faso.
“If General Tchiani is allowed to trick ECOWAS and get them to accept his Taqiyya promise, the domino effect of coup will continue to other West African nations. This is beyond Niger. Make Tchiani a scapegoat!”