West Africa: World Briefing of Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

West Africa: World Briefing of Equatorial Guinea And Nigeria

By Paul Ohia

8 March 2009

Lagos — In the mid seventies, Equatorial Guinea was the first country I had close by psychological encounter with. There was this picture of a young man hanging in our sitting room . I was always taking a passing glance at this picture but my father, Walter, of blessed memory was often gazing at another group picture on the wall with tears on his eyes. Amidst tears, he was able to tell me that the beautiful lady standing at the middle of the group is my mother, his late wife, Margaret, whom I did not have the opportunity of knowing because she died when I was less that nine months.

"But what of this other picture here. I mean the young man with his five children and wife" I was always curious those days throwing questions at my father, all my eight older siblings had gone to school except the eldest daughter that had finished schooling and got married.

He usually responded with patience. " The man is my brother; your uncle, Joseph who lives in Equatorial Guinea and those are his wife and children. They will come home one day and you will meet them" I was overjoyed because the days of loneliness would soon come to an end.

Despite having my father as the only companion when my elder siblings have gone to schools, I did not find it funny not having children to play with and besides there were times when the man would attend to his trade and I was alone in the house gazing at the sky.

After this revelation by father that my uncle would soon come home with his children, my attention reverie now shifted to the thought of when they would return and I will have other children to play with.

Two years later, we got the news that Nigerians are being sent packing from Equatorial Guinea by the government of Macias Nguema and my joy knew no bounds if not for the way my uncle and his family were sent home like refugees.

In fact, I got to learn what my father did not reveal to me: I really had two uncles in Equatorial Guinea not one. The other, Isaac was a Catholic Cathecist over there and his son was a member of the country's national football team, a teacher and musician.

Anyway, within a few weeks, we got information that some ships have offloaded Nigerians at Port Harcourt and we went to look for them. By then I was no longer staying at home. I had started school. They all looked like refugees running away from a war situation and till today I can see the effect of cutting off people's course of life from them. They abandoned their houses at Malabo, left their professions and some even lost their certificates. They started life afresh and I discovered that things have moved ahead of them, making it difficult to meet up. But for me, I had enough cousins to play with. In fact their return was like a great period when I learnt songs and plays as done at Bata and Malabo from my first uncle's children. I was proud to take them to school and introduce them to my mates. My second uncle's son, Christopher played guitar in the evenings and during the day, he displayed great football skills and spoke Spanish. He married from Malabo and had to hide his son in a bag to cross border and escape security checks that would have sent them back for going with a son from that country. The boy , Kennedy, survived the period in the bag.

All told, the effect of what they lost was not lost on me and few years later when I encountered some Equatorial Guineans in my class at the University in the 90s studying with Nigerian scholarship, I questioned the rationale and kept away from them. But my cousin, Amaechi who was also my course mate was friendly with one called Sisinio and I was not amused with this friendship.

At present, Sisinio Mbana is the Charge D'Affairs (representative) of Equatorial Guinea to the United Nations in Switserland and Amaechi works with the Nigerian Foreign Affairs ministry in Abuja. So, when news came that Equatorial Guinea was accusing Nigeria of subversion, I picked up my phone to speak with him for the first time and warn him about his country.

He was able to diplomatically tell me that he is awaiting reaction from his country but later called Amaechi in Abuja to explain that his country has no bad intention against the Nigerian government but talking of militias.

Now, I expect that the country should reciprocate the good gesture by Nigeria in terms of educational and sundry assistance and in this regard, the mission of our Honourable Foreign Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe to the country should be followed up by a similar visit from Malabo. No more backstabbing.