At least 24 people have died and dozens more are missing in the sinking on Sunday of a boat carrying peasants to their fields in central Nigeria on Sunday 10 September.

The boat was carrying more than a hundred peasants crossing the Niger River to go to their crops located on the other side, in the State of Niger, when the boat capsized, aindiqué in a statement Garba Salihu, the head of the Relief Management Agency of that State.

“At this point, 24 bodies were found and 30 people were rescued,” he said. More than 100 people were to be on board when the sinking occurred,’ he added. The causes of the accident were not specified.

Operations continued to find missing passengers, he said.

On Friday, ten people drowned and three were reported missing when a boat with 23 passengers

Amin Suleiman, the local head of the Relief Management Agency, told AFP that he had capsized on Lake Njuwa in Adamawa State (north).

Shipwrecks of boats in Nigeria on rivers, very borrowed, are frequent. They are usually due to overloaded boats, poor maintenance or non-compliance with safety rules.

It’s an open secret. ECOWAS gave the Nigerien putschists a week to restore constitutional order, and does not rule out using force if this ultimatum is not respected. In Nigeria, the army is already ready to intervene. Indeed, according to the chief of general staff of the armies of the country, his men are waiting only for the orders of ECOWAS to land in Niamey.

“This is unacceptable”
“You have heard what President (Bola Tinubu) said, if the problems continue, action will be taken. He said that no one would support a military takeover of power. That is unacceptable. We stand up for democracy and it must continue. And we will do exactly what the chair says. We are ready and as soon as we receive the order to intervene, we will,” Musa said, according to RFI.

He says he is absolutely sure to carry out the operation if it starts. “Everyone is retaliating and our president is in discussions with his counterparts in neighbouring countries. We are convinced that the putschists knew that what they were doing would not pass. We are sure to win over them,” he continued.

Threats from Mali and Burkina Faso
Needless to say, Mali and Burkina Faso have already warned ECOWAS against military intervention in Niger. This would lead to a withdrawal of Bamako and Ouagadougou from the sub-regional organization as well as «the adoption of self-defence measures in support of the armed forces and the people of Niger».

Congratulations to US President-Elect Joe Biden on his election at a time of uncertainty and fear in world affairs. His election is a reminder that democracy is the best form of government because it offers the people the opportunity to change their government by peaceful means.

In a democracy, the most powerful group are not the politicians, but voters who can decide the fate of the politicians at the polling booth. The main fascination of democracy is the freedom of choice and the supremacy of the will of the people.

Respect for the will of the people is the very reason why democracy remains the best form of government, despite its limitations from one polity to another, and from one society to another.

President-Elect Biden’s remarkable track record gives us hope that he will add value to the presidency and world affairs. We look forward to greater cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, especially at economic, diplomatic, political and security levels.

I urge Mr. Biden to deploy his vast experience in tackling the negative consequences of nationalist politics on world affairs—which have created divisions and uncertainties—and to introduce greater engagement with Africa on the basis of reciprocal respect and shared interests.