By Our Correspondent
A low level diplomatic row has developed between the governments of Sierra Leone and Nigeria over the recent conferment of an honorary doctorate by Sierra Leone’s Njala University on Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (photo), leader of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the All Progressives Party (APC).
According to media reports in Freetown, officials of the Nigerian High Commission are very upset that a Sierra Leonean university could confer such honour on Tinubu, considered the biggest political threat to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan who wants to contest in next year’s election.
Jonathan is a close friend of President Koroma and his wife "Dame" Patricia Jonathan is also very close to Sierra Leone’s First Lady Sia Koroma. Jonathan gave the Sierra Leone government one million dollars from his own personal funds a couple of years ago.
Koroma is currently in Nigeria to attend a regional meeting but he will very likely use the opportunity to discuss the Tinubu snafu with his friend Goodluck Jonathan.
This is not the first time Nigerian diplomats in Freetown have berated or scolded the Sierra Leone government. In the days of former President Kabbah, a Nigerian High Commissioner in Freetown publicly told Kabbah’s SLPP government to bring any Nigerian national believed to have commited a crime to his office first and not to the police. The Kabbah government complied. During and immediately after the civil war, the then Sierra Leone government depended on Nigerian troops sent by Sani Abacha for national and personal security, having lost confidence in the Sierra Leone army. That is why even today, Nigerians get away with many things in the country.
For example a prominent Nigerian business man in Freetown with a dubious background, Chief Tony Chinyere and his associates, indicted by the Anti-Corruption Commission for financial crimes last year was set free after some time and nothing more is heard about the issue. A couple of years ago, a Sierra Leonean "houseboy" was shot and killed in Tony’s house. The matter died a natural death after some noise in the media. Tony said it was an accident. There was no police investigation or coroner’s inquest.
Nigerians now control the private banking and insurance industries in the country. They also now own many stores in Freetown and the regional capitals. In the media they have established some newspapers and a television station.
It is not known exactly why Njala univeristy conferred the degree on Tinubu but President Koroma’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Richard Konteh is an alumnus of Njala University. Konteh however told Freetown’s Torchlight newspaper that he did not influence the conferment although Tinubu is his personal friend.
We asked a veteran Sierra Leonean businessman that has lived and worked in Nigeria for decades to comment on the Tinubu issue. Here is what he said:
"Some Sierra Leoneans can be very naive at times and that is why foreigners often exploit them severely. In Nigeria when a politician or businessman offers you a gift or service it is not a gift or service, it is an investment. You are expected to deliver or face the consequences which can be very unpleasant. Some Sierra Leoneans, in their naivete, often praise Abacha for sending his troops to Sierra Leone "for free" but Abacha did not do that for free or for humanitarian reasons alone. Apart from the public relations aspect of it on the world stage (Abacha was then a loathed pariah all over the world), he and former President Kabbah signed an agreement, a quid pro quo, something for something. Abacha is now dead so Sierra Leone may or may not have to implement that agreement which is known to or available to President Jonathan of Nigeria and President Koroma. Former President Kabbah is likely to have a copy in his house."
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