A Ugandan Twitter user has called out Nigerians on the approach taken over the arrest of Nigerian singers Tems and Omah Lay in the country.
@bwesigye who stated that they love Nigerians so much, however called out the West African nation for having “too much exceptionalism”. The Twitter user accused Ugadan President Yoweri Museveni of being a dictator and also averred that Omah Lay and Tems’ experience isn’t because of their ”Nigerianness,” but because of Museveni’s dictatorial methods.
Recounting how Museveni deported South African music legend Yvonne Chaka Chaka, he stressed that Nigerians would have approached Omah Lay and Tems’ arrest differently.
The Twitter user also accused Nigerians of hiding behind colonial nationalism ‘flag nationalism’, and building an exceptionalist attitude that distorts their analyses of how other Africans in other countries are suffering.
The tweets read;
Nigerians: we love you, but you love some exceptionalism too much. You’re too quick to exceptionalise yourselves and your suffering. Museveni’s dictatorship has been wilding, Omah Lay and Tems’ experience isn’t because of their Nigerianness. Museveni deported Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
And btw, I personally learnt about #EndSARS from Ugandan activists tweeting about it. If you reciprocated the interest other Africans take in you and your affairs, you’d have approached Omah Lay and Tems’ arrest differently. You’d have known about the November massacre in Uganda.
You hide behind your colonial nationalism, aka flag nationalism, and have built an exceptionalist attitude that distorts your analyses of how other Africans in other countries are suffering. Omah Lay and Tems’ case isn’t about Nigerianness but Museveni’s dictatorial methods.
Like we ridicule the US for its collective ignorance about the world outside its borders, only caring about exploiting it, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya generally and in that order approach other African countries the same way. Too exceptional! Rarely center other Africans.
