Festus Eriye
WHEN First Lady Aisha Buhari fired off an unusual late night tweet, you knew there was trouble in paradise. Last Friday, she sent the equivalent of an open letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to set her detained aides free.
Who would dare arrest the aide-de-camp (ADC) and other security staff of the president’s better half?
The story that dribbled out of a close-lipped Aso Villa suggested madam had had an altercation with President Muhammadu Buhari’s influential Personal Assistant, Yusuf Sabiu aka Tunde, over his refusal to self-isolate for 14 days after inter-state travel to Lagos.
Most accounts claim that the encounter dovetailed into a car chase in the vicinity of the Presidential Villa, leading to shots being fired. The result was madam’s ADC and others being ‘quarantined’ for breaching rules regarding the handling of firearms in such a sensitive environment.
Buhari’s handlers tried to dismiss the incident as an insignificant one that the opposition were trying to build a mountain out of. But how do you downplay a spat between the president’s spouse and one of his closest aides that had been escalated onto that global digital market square – Twitter?
The incident was grave enough for the president to order a ‘thorough investigation’, with the ominous promise that the law would take its natural course!
Just as Nigerians were coming down from the adrenaline high of drama in the corridors of power, another scandal broke. Unsurprisingly, it involved Naira Marley – a popular hip-hop artiste who wears controversy like a shirt. In the early days of the lockdown in Lagos, he was part of the supporting cast at the infamous birthday party that landed Nollywood actress Funke Akindele and her musician husband J. J. Skillz in the dock.
While the couple were convicted and sentenced to community service, Marley and a couple of others escaped lightly with a plea bargain and an apology to the state government.
Nigerians who had been scratching their heads wondering how this same fellow managed to land in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with a so-called inter-state travel ban in place, airports supposedly shut down and mass gatherings banned, were soon treated to a comedy of errors.
First, embarrassed aviation authorities suspended the airline that ferried the musician and his crew to Abuja for the drive-in concert. But in a grovelling apology next day Executive Jets CEO, Sam Iwuajoku, explained that he had mistaken Marley, real name Azeez Fashola, for Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola. Really?
Beyond the surname, how anyone could have mixed up the dreadlocks-sporting, trouser-sagging singer with the scholarly, suit-wearing minister, beats the imagination.
But it speaks to the fact that with so many of the Covid-19 restrictions, it’s one rule for the people, another for the powerful and well-heeled.
Iwuajoku then puts his foot firmly in by declaring with barely-concealed contempt that he thought he was airlifting an important officer of state, not knowing his craft was to be used to carry a bunch of “useless people.”
The unrepentant Marley, who is virtually worshipped by his legion of young followers called “Marlians,” hit back. “I won’t fly again with your useless airline,” he retorted.
The FCT authorities have already prosecuted the organisers of the concert and shut the Jabi Lake Mall venue of the event. But mum is the word concerning Marley. Many are waiting to see whether he gets another pass because of his celebrity.
Just when people were beginning to hope that the easing of lockdown measures meant the coronavirus crisis was on the wane, we’ve been witnessing a spike in new infections on daily basis. Most days the numbers have fluctuated between 400 and excess of 600.
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 claims the alarming figures were expected as the nation scaled up testing. But that’s just one side of things. If we are returning these huge new numbers, the implication is that the virus has penetrated far deeper into the community than we are willing to admit.
Perhaps this was the realisation when, yesterday, the Lagos State government suddenly slammed the brakes on the reopening of churches and mosques which been slated for June 19 and 21. Or perhaps the shocking death of Senator Adebayo Osinowo from Covid-related complications brought home the reality that the virus wasn’t on recess in the state.
Two weeks ago Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, warned the state was in danger of running out of isolation beds. Unfortunately, there’s no let-up in the numbers and the nightly updates from the NCDC now look like a recurring nightmare for state officials.
The PTF, acknowledging it’s virtually exhausting its cards, is now reduced to appealing to people to “take responsibility.” It is a serious situation but also amusing. You’re asking people – many of whom think the virus is a scam – to lead the charge against it!
But it has come to that as there’s a limit to which governments can go to keep the populace healthy. Lockdowns can only last for so long and at best violators would walk away with mild fines.
The PTF is horrified that despite its best efforts, monitoring across the country shows a widespread disregard for advertised protocols. For the frustrated officials, it’s been like preaching to the congregation of the deaf.
But this stubbornness isn’t just a Nigerian thing. This week, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni declared he was fed up with trying to convince his compatriots to choose life.
“When I pass through town there, people are not bothered. They say after all nobody has died, so they are not bothered. If you’re looking for somebody to die you will get him. And when you start dying, don’t say Museveni did not tell us. There is nothing we have not told you. We don’t have to beg you, please; don’t die, don’t die, please don’t die. No. We have told you exactly what the science says about this virus and how we can avoid it,” he stated.
Truly, our choices and actions would determine whether lives are saved or lost. So, choose life for you and your community by acting responsibly at this time.
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