You have heard them. Creatures of the BBC radio service ostensibly presented to us for comic relief on Friday evenings. And, indeed, you may take them at face value and let out guffaws of laughter.
Until you realise these African employees of the BBC Focus On Africa programme have been given something not-so-subtly scornful and not-so-covertly derogative, to deliver.
The characters’ names say it all: Olushambles and Kibarkingmad.
All the above is in reference to a sketch played out at the end of the BBC Focus On Africa news, which is introduced with monkey-like gibber. It’s dubbed "The Resident Presidents from the BBC”, played by the two characters whose stage names are as mentioned above.
Needless to say, Olushambles was created to parody ex-Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo and Kibarkingmad, late ex-Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki. Both honourable men who led their people with dedicated order and development-focus but note that "-shambles” and "-barkingmad”. BBC certainly created the characters to mock and disdain African leaders, past and present.
The routine last July 10 was probably more hateful than most. It starts with the apparently pompous and pea-brained Olushambles foaming at the mouth as he rants over a survey he read. The survey was destined for African youths from age 18 to 24 years and asked if they see any future for themselves on the continent. (Note: none of the following is quoted verbatim).
The responses come in fast and furious. Not at all, responded the youths, with its insecurity, crime, lack of job opportunities, of democracy, of freedoms. He in turn reacts with salvos of fire at the responses. Who cares? They can pack up their bags, walk across the Sahara Desert and take a dingy across the Mediterranean in search of job opportunities. They will probably end up dead at the seabed.
An African president so heartless, I wouldn’t like to imagine, much as there is some truth in what the youths cite. Even then, though, all African governments and leaders in no way deserve to be lumped together. There are definitely those on this continent who care about their people (men, women and youth) even better than those of some so-called advanced countries.
But Olushambles (Olus) is not done with the survey. The youths, says he, asked if their country was heading in the right direction, all answered in the negative. Only Rwandan and Ghanaian youths had positive views about their countries.
And, Kibarkingmad (Kiba), apparently created to represent the voice of reason – if not a sham element to create a semblance of balanced dialogue – reminds his ‘colleague’ of the importance of the youth as the future of Africa. They represent a better future as they are educated, talented, well-informed, young and technology savvy. If they leave, suggests he, Africa will be the poorer for it.
But BBC’s creature of buffoonery, Olus, will have none of this. He’d rather dispatch his disloyal youth to Rwanda because, says he, it seems to be the fashionable place to send unwanted people these days. Interrupts Kiba: Hang on a second, didn’t you say Rwanda came out on top of most contended youth? Strange, that, muses Olus, maybe he (ref. President Kagame) has carried out his own loyalty survey. And you know what happens to disloyal Rwandans. [End of the sketch].
End, because that’s the punchline that the BBC script-writer intended to deliver all along. The whole skit was building up to that: the Rwandan leadership’s forced loyalty on its people!
If there was forced loyalty in this country, why are dissenting voices in their multitudes? But the message has passed and the audience’s take-home point is that disloyalty here is taboo. When any gullible foreigner hears about crimes like promoting genocide ideology, murder, robbery, corruption, others, being punished, it will not be precisely that to them. It will be due to disloyalty!
The message that Rwanda will cooperate with any country (the UK in this case) to save anybody in disgrace, or even do it on her own, has been lost in translation. BBC bosses know about cases of Libya, Israel and Afghanistan but no, that’s not in their interest. They choose to bury them in disloyalty.
But Rwandans should not be surprised. They all remember well when a Kinyarwanda programme was started to supposedly unite Rwandans after the Genocide against the Tutsi. Who would have guessed that its intention was to actually provide a platform for the most vociferous of génocidaires in exile?
In fact, some génocidaires were even paid for making venomous arguments for genocide denial, trivialisation, for double genocide and mobilising for FDLR terrorists’ support and membership.
It was as well that the Rwandan government, after long and patient but ignored arguments, pulled it off the airwaves. Its aim was to plant division among Rwandans and animosity against their government. Rwandans have taken their stand, however, and they are delusional, who think they can shake their unity and resolve to advance together as one.
BBC authorities, whatever tricks you try, know that Rwandans are awake to your machinations.
Africans, let’s rise together and fight any misinformation about our countries from any quarter!