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  • The power of change

    The sun breaks through the cumulous clouds, heralding another day with its charming smiles. The once mist-crowned mountains glow in green. The ocean tides surge to the shore in foaming fury, remoulding the dream castles of the sinking sands.

    Suddenly, the whirlwind whips across the crowded market place, clearing the debris of dirt and dust. And somewhere in the forest jungle, an egg shell cracks as bloodlines trickle to the earth, before the eagle rises with a brand new song. That is change for you.

    Powerful, provoking and many times painful. Change is the all-potent tool in the hand of the Maker to redirect events, people and places according to His divine Master plan. We call it Destiny or Providence. Mostly unexpected and characterized against  the Newtonian  law of matter that wants to remain still where it has always been, or keep moving if it has always been in motion, change is more meaningful when we adapt to it quickly. As it is in the jungle, so it plays out with man; it is the survival of the fittest, according to the law of evolution.

    When we extrapolate this to the current Nigerian situation, it presents an interesting political scenario. Here we are, after a change of baton from one democratically elected civilian president to another, with the political parties enacting the game of revolving chair, for the first time in our recent history. It would also go down in the history books that a former military dictator, who headed the second undemocratic government to truncate our democracy, now comes in as the greatest beneficiary of that momentous victory. What an irony of history! Little wonder he has dropped the tag of a ‘General’.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has metamorphosed from a dictator to a democrat and so shall it be. He has adapted well to the change mantra in Nigeria’s effervescent political landscape. He therefore, symbolizes survival of the fittest, and more. We all may not belong to his legion of the diehard admirers, with some trekking across deserts and forests to express their love. But mention his name anywhere and the image that crops to mind is that of a man of integrity, of probity and honesty of purpose, a man whose lifestyle is so simple, it abhors the current obscene perquisites of office. In the marketing parlance therefore, Buhari is a sellable brand. Truth be told however, I have my fears for him and the country as well.

    The first is the polity, as it currently evolves. How do we drastically reduce the enormous costs of running government that earmarks over 80 per cent of the annual revenue to recurrent expenditure? How do we re-orientate the mindset of the average Nigerian politician to see his appointment as that of selfless service to the people, instead of amassing unmerited wealth and living life of luxury while those who voted for him groan in grinding poverty?

    Similarly, how do we tell Nigerians that the APC-led government has no magic wand to wave off fuel scarcity and epileptic electric power supply, if all the oil marketers involved in hoarding fuel, and  the pipeline vandals do not have a change of heart? Add these to the debilitating debts left at both the federal and state levels and the picture should be crystal-clear that indeed, the hard times are here.

    We cannot move Nigeria forward if the payment structure to political appointees is not scaled down in tandem with current economic realities. This is the era when we need volunteers in government. The nation is in crying need of patriots who would utilize their time and talents to seek the common good, as one has been consistently advocating over the years. We can no longer tolerate, or even survive the insidious and pervasive culture of the twin evils of corruption and impunity. No!

    It is indeed a sad commentary on our nation-state that as part of the speech made by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu on January 15, 1966 during the first military coup, the troubling issue of corruption featured prominently and 49 years later we are still grappling with the rampaging monster. Said he: “The aim of the Revolutionary Council is to establish a strong united and prosperous nation, free from corruption and internal strife.” It would do Nigerians a world of good if we compare the current state of the nation with what obtained as at December 31, 1983 when the then General Muhammadu Buhari took over the reins of political governance.

    This is an excerpt from his speech at that historic moment. “It is true that there is a worldwide economic recession. However, in the case of Nigeria, its impact was aggravated by mismanagement. We believe the appropriate government agencies have good advice but the leadership disregarded their advice. The situation could have been avoided if the legislators were alive to their constitutional responsibilities. Instead, the legislators were preoccupied with determining their salary scales, fringe benefit and unnecessary foreign travels, et al, which took no account of the state of the economy and the welfare of the people they represented.”

    Furthermore, Buhari had this to say: “As a result of our inability to cultivate financial discipline and prudent management of the economy, we have come to depend largely on internal and external borrowing to execute government projects with attendant domestic pressure and soaring external debts, thus aggravating the propensity of the outgoing civilian administration to mismanage our financial resources”. Please, read that again.

    Now, it is obvious that Nigeria’s political class has remained virtually the same over decades. Only the actors have changed. The script remains the same, characterized by greed and graft with the ugly drama played out by crooks and criminals. Every meaningful change MUST therefore, start with the polity. Those unwilling to change should be swept off by its tide.

    Above all, the change we clamour for can only be meaningful if the ordinary Nigerians become the greatest beneficiary.

  • Picture that speaks a thousand words

    Not too long ago, a picture over 20 years old went viral on the internet. It was shot right in Dodan Barracks, Lagos in 1994, and in it, the usurper military dictator, the late General Sani Abacha, in his military attire – though not uncommonly un-bereted yet quite unusually unspectacled – welcomes to the famous seat of power, the late Chief MKO Abiola who is clad resplendently in his usual embroidered agbada, buba and sokoto, with his long famous cap to match. For one who had just won the freest and fairest election in the political history of Nigeria, the irony is more than cruelly etched in the loudly-silent question: “who between the de facto despot and the demure democrat should be the welcomer to the seat of power and who should be the guest to it?”

    Yet, it is clear that whereas one was an opportunistic upstart crow beautified with the feathers of our democratic martyrs, the other was a selfless visionary prepared to sacrifice his all to reclaim the stolen mandate of his people.

    Right behind this fiercely contrasting duo in this frozen past, no less laden with the history of days gone and the prophecy of things yet to come, are two of the most trusted personal aides of the usurper-despot and the unyielding democrat: one is the notorious man of infamy, the Chief Security Officer to the late Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha – the de-facto to the de-facto – walking behind Chief MKO; and the other, a young, unassuming, bespectacled Bola Ahmed Tinubu, majestically walking behind Abacha as if to tactfully close-mark the untrustworthy General the way Al-Mustapha digs the heels of his innocent principal.

    Whoever posted this picture on the internet has saved himself a thousand words because the picture is its own thousand words; it speaks loudly of our not-too distant political past, even as it eloquently foreshadows a future we never had the gift of prophecy to apprehend: that the man trusted by the late MKO Abiola to watch his back when he went to the lions’ den to insist on his mandate is, after all, our democracy’s future avenging angel, the sword of Damocles one day to fall on the fattened vultures of our captive political aspirations.

    Who would also have thought that in the little obscure, unassumingly harmless character, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, tucked behind Abiola in the picture, would be the most notorious operative of Aguda House, the de facto Head of State who would torture, maim and kill to keep an aberrant junta in place.

    This is the picture that speaks a thousand words; the picture that proves both time and history are the greatest conspirators, as they both have a way of playing on the psyche of the short sighted man. We are optically illusioned always to look one way, but the blurred and the dimly lit objects that time and history choose not to magnify often are the veritable mustard seeds of a future full of marvel. Watch again in the picture as young Tinubu walks behind Abacha with the solemnity of a golden child that has an uncanny foreknowledge of his future role both as the man chosen to right political wrongs yet in the womb of time, and as the anointed angel to give final rest to the troubled political spirit of his fallen liege and godfather.

    Tinubu has proven himself a worthy son of his proud political lineage. He had been with MKO long before the days of NPN and he was there when the Aare Ona Kakanfo threw his hat into the political ring at the Jos convention of the SDP. He was one of the brains behind the famous Epe Declaration, after which he fled abroad to avoid Abacha’s murderous rage.

    Tinubu, with the late Enahoro, Wole Soyinka, General Alani Akinrinade (Rtd.), Kayode Fayemi and others, sustained NADECO abroad after its virtual demise at home under the asphyxiating disposition of Abacha’s junta. He, with Kokori and others, led the oil-workers strike that crippled Lagos to keep the spirit of June 12 alive. Tinubu was the first person MKO would ask for from me when he had his first day in court on a charge of treason. Tinubu, ironically, was also the first person to call me from London when he heard Abiola was assassinated.

    I remember even in the heat of the pandemonium of MKO’s sudden death, Tinubu still had the equanimity of mind to instruct that I tell Kola Abiola and MKO’s physician, Ore Falomo, to insist on a UN-backed post-mortem to confirm alleged poisoning of his late political mentor; nor did he, thereafter, leave to stray uncatered-for the biological and political orphans of the late MKO – he has nurtured many to the abundant.

    Now that the prophesy has come to pass and the son has, at last, exacted the political pound of flesh to avenge the spirit of his late father, let the son proceed to do the other needful; namely, restore late Chief MKO Abiola to his rightful place in the political history of Nigeria. Let June 12 as a date be recognised as a veritable political watershed in the democratic learning process of this country; let the late icon have to his name an enduring monument of history as his memorial and let the corrective regime of Muhammadu Buhari elevate Abiola posthumously to the highest honour in the land, i.e. the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR). He deserves it!

    The journey depicted in this picture of a thousand words may have ended tragically – justifiably for the usurper-despot and undeservedly for the ill-fated, heroic democrat, nonetheless, they both have their distinctive places in history; whereas Abacha’s name lives in infamy, Abiola’s lives in the memory of lovers of duty, honour and country.

    Thus away from the thousand words that this picture manifestly evokes, are yet many more that only those who saw it all and have a sense of history can give flesh to. Even as society seems to move and carry on as if nothing momentous happened years ago, history appears to tap us on the shoulder, urging that we do not forget “it” so that “it” too – when our due season comes – will not forget us. Let us lift the memory of our forebears who selflessly gave their yesterday so that we would have this promising today.

    Let the last few syllables of the one thousand words contained in this picture be given their full vent. Let Abiola take his rightful place in the history of our democratic odyssey. Tinubu alone was in the right spot in that history; only he can write it.

     

    • Lisa Akerele, veteran journalist and former Political Assistant to the late MKO Abiola, is Atunwase of Ijesaland.

  • Buhari, smile at our children

    It is a sweet coincidence that the International Children’s Day fell within two days of change of government in Nigeria. It is even sweeter that this change of government is not just another sonorous self-succession scheme but a new person at the helms of power and screaming the message of a much-needed change. Yet it will be sweetest if President Mohammadu Buhari can shed his stern stance and just for a moment, smile at our children.

    Children in Nigeria, one of the most endangered species in the world, need this pain-effacing smile. It may be understandable if the General’s unsmilingliness increases in light of the Augean stables that must be cleansed, of mountains that must be moved and of sacred cows that must be tied up so that Nigeria can be whipped into line again and so that the shame of a nation can end. It will be a hard time for political criminals and executive pen robbers if Buhari remains true to his name, yet, in all of these, he must remember to smile at our children.

    Why the urgent need to smile at our children? Sir, in case you do not know, the global guffaw is on us as to the bleak statistics on the state of Nigerian children. I believe you are aware that our country currently has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, standing at 10.5 million since 2013, according to UNESCO. With upheavals in the North especially in the last few years, your esteemed guess is as good as that of my humble self. And to add, Save Our Children also rates us as having one of the highest rates of maternal mortality, and infancy deaths, ranking in the leagues of war-torn countries such as Congo, Afghanistan and Sudan. We also have, according to UNICEF’s statistics, one of the highest rates of girl-child marriage in the world, particularly in the North, where VVF, a major threat to sustainable development is widespread. We can’t discountenance these reports – the evidence is everywhere. Or, you want to talk of skyrocketing incidences of rape without consequences, sale of babies (baby factories), child-trafficking and other woes befalling our hapless children and with hardly any respite?

    And of course, you may know that we also have one of the highest figures of displaced persons, including thousands of children. Just the other day, we saw that more than 500 of the persons rescued from the Boko Haram Sambisa hell were children and young girls. Many died on the way back to ‘life’. Not long after, many more trooped in, tired, hungry and dying from refugee camps in Niger Republic. Many holed up in Cameroon and Chad will soon troop back and with many children dying of starvation along the way. Internally, we have 1.5 Million people who are displaced, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). But we do not even need those statistics. The horrendous truth stares us in the face on street corners and school compounds of Maiduguri, Yola, Damaturu, Potiskum, Kano, Abuja and elsewhere. These humanitarian crises, these great human suffering, these deaths and the shame were quite avoidable if we had a pro-active, stick-wielding and at the same time, child-friendly government in place. We won’t wail over spilled milk now, but we will ask you to smile.

    Sir, let the unforgiveable indifference of the past government move you into child-friendly action. Think of the children of the infamous Dogo Nahawa massacre, 500 lying still, extinguished by the sides of the cold Plateau hills; think of the 58 school boys of Buni-Yadi murdered in cold blood after which the government joyously embarked on a senseless Centenary celebration; think of the Potiskum school kids put out so brutally; think of the bloodbath in Nyanya after which the immediate past president, leader of the nation, went on a shoki dance in Kano; think of the abducted teenagers of Chibok and all that was done by the Federal Government to sweep it under the carpet, more than 200 of people’s children! Think of the fact that in all of these, the Ministry of Women Affairs which should be the vanguard of protecting these vulnerable young people was deeply engrossed in organising rallies for the First Lady. It took international outcries, as you know, for the government to even respond. And now the world views us as ugly monsters that care not for their young. Think deeply, sir of the lack of empathy and be resolved to make a smile-inducing difference. The world must now see our children smile. Simile, sir, smile at the survivors and future leaders, but first, frown and say ‘Never Again’.

    History, I trust, will smile at you if in light of these tear-inducing realities, you make the overall welfare of Nigerian children one of the cornerstones of your administration’s policies. If you ensure efficient rehabilitation, resettlement and reintegration programme for families and children displaced by Boko Haram and the various ethno-religious crises and without bias, and rescue those still in captivity. You know that without tackling this squarely, especially for the young and impressionable, we can’t say the insurgency battle is over. We must stop breeding monsters, consciously or otherwise; if you ensure the effective enforcement of child-friendly policies littering government offices across the country; if violators of children’s rights face the law squarely as against what obtains now; if we have much better and more affordable healthcare and  strict child safeguard policies, free universal basic education and take the life-enhancing light of literacy to children on city street corners and rural hamlets; if education is subsidized to ensure the intellectual development of EVERY Nigerian child notwithstanding his or her religion, tribe or  background so that he/she turns out as contributor and not minus, to national growth, then we can truly say you had smiled. Again, we await you to say Never Again will extremist forces capitalise on the mass illiteracy of our children to turn them to brainwashed little devils. Kindly say it with a fatherly smile.

    Sir, you know of course that governments world over which display, allow or accommodate cruelty, in any form, to children are no longer deemed the mightiest; great powers show their prowess by the care and compassion they extend to the most vulnerable in society. We will hold you up to those global standards. We expect that while you must show your unsmiling face at defaulting adults, please ensure you beam a loving face at our children. We can’t sit down and expect our children to turn out humane when all we mete to them is harm. A thinking, forward-looking nation’s resources and assets must be used for the comfort and protection of its young. You are now the father of the nation, their father, and they mustn’t know the sledgehammer of governmental irresponsibility anymore.

    Maybe, just maybe, if you would make our children smile from ear-to-ear, make them feel safe, genuinely loved and proud to be Nigerians once again, this may just be your most enduring legacy in this second chance given you by God to serve our bruised fatherland.

    • Mrs Abah is Lagos-based journalist and Executive Director of a child’s rights NGO.

  • Jos: A beautiful city in retreat

    Leadership has a harder job to do than just choose sides. It must bring sides together— Rev. Jesse Jackson  

    I find Jos, the enchanting and at the same breath beguiling city of my birth, simply irresistible, enthralling and alluring. It is to me like a beautiful lady in whose company I find solace and comfort. This is why, despite its recent fate of being ‘bound to violence’, I still find it worthwhile at any slight opportunity to visit and commune with and suck in its captivating beauty.

    Therefore, when I got a short breather recently from the hectic life of staring and working endlessly at my computer screen, I hopped on the next available opportunity to run to the saner atmosphere of Jos. The lure of its weather, lovely and accommodating residents coupled with the varieties of fruits and vegetables that are garden fresh and succulent are enough attraction that can lure one like moth to light.

     I had planned to utilize the few days I had to embark on a brisk tour of the city and see for myself the so much talked about improvement and massive rebuilding of the capital city which former governor Jonah Jang had done. There is no doubt that he had perhaps affected the growth and development of the city more than any other governor before him. But that is where it ends. He is also on record as the most divisive governor that had ever presided over the affairs of the state. Religious and ethnic crises didn’t start with his tenure, but he weighed in more on one side of the divide more than the other. A true leader should not be seen supporting either openly or covertly any side.

    There is no way one can deny that the former governor had impacted greatly on the development and urban renewal of Jos, but one thing that is glaring is that the massive renewal are sectional and concentrated in only one section of the city. For instance, Terminus, which is the main central business district and the economic artery of the city, has become a vast refuse dump due to neglect and the atmosphere has become so poisoned that I wondered why an epidemic has not broken out in the city. Why should any responsible government leave its main business artery to suffer such a fate?

    What has happened to the state’s mantra of ‘Home of Peace and Tourism’ when heaps of dirt with offensive pungent odours has taken over the major streets of the state capital?

    Although I arrived at a time when civil servants in the state have declared a trade dispute with the government in protest of its failure to pay them in the last six months or so, the question is why no interim measure was taken to save the city from an epidemic? The former governor, I was told decided not to say anything nor enter into any negotiation with the Labour unions thereby passing the buck to the incoming government. Would this have been the case if the governor’s ‘anointed’ candidate had carried the day at the poll?

    In Plateau State, the citizens perhaps against the run of expectations, for the first time in a long while decided to turn their back on their former party of preference. They voted for change. The ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of ‘Baba’ or ‘Da’ Jang was shocked. The party apparatchik before the election had believed it was a walk over. How they arrived at this conclusion still rankles.

    The politics of the state was simply that of “Baba ya che”, the Hausa word for “Baba said”. It was a government of everything, or almost everything Baba says becomes the norm and no one seems to have anything contrary.

    However, with the change of baton at the state this weekend it is expected that things would begin to change. The new governor, Simon Lalong is not new to the politics of the state and he has the benefit of coming from the other part of the state that is not beholden to any of the interests that held his predecessor captive. He has a lot to learn from the mistakes of his predecessor who saw his tenure has a time to ‘recoup’ the perceived ‘loss’ of his people and serve as their liberator. What he failed to realize was that in a state like Plateau, no single ethnic group has the number to elect an individual or keep him in power. Or even if this were possible, as soon as the election is over you become the governor of all and not a section.

    Governor Lalong himself knows this and should not hesitate to take bold steps to redress the wrongs that had been perpetrated by Jang. The state is too ethnically diverse to be beholden to one and concentrate developments in just one quarter of the vast city.

    Under the past administration, Jos was a city under siege. It was a city that has become divided and seems to have lost its steam to bubble and attract adventures. Night and social lives which were the city’s strongest points have retreated into oblivion and fear, people no longer enjoy the confidence to move without restrictions because there are some parts of the city that if you wore a certain kind of clothe you feel unsafe and under threat. How can a city grow under an atmosphere where suspicion is the first condition for survival? This tide must change and the new governor already has his tasks well cut out for him. His biggest is to find out how to rebuild the confidence of the populace and make them work for peace. But the leadership has to inspire the people and let them know that co-existence and peace among all people and religions are the ingredients and engine of development of any society, anything other than this is a fluke.

    This is the time to rebuild Plateau, farewell Jang, welcome Lalong.

  • Never again!!!

    There comes a time when people who desire to leave their footprints in the sands of history must sit down to reflect on how far they have come in life, how they got to where they are, where they intend to get to, and how they plan to get there. It is during this stock-taking that pitfalls are discovered, when attitudes, actions, and behaviours that can abort the dream are laid bare. Decisions are then reached on what attitudes, actions, and behaviours to be retained, the ones that need adjustment, and those to be classified as NEVER AGAIN.

    As the nation transits from one administration to another, it is good that we take a pause and do a little stock-taking after fifty-five years of independence and unbroken sixteen years of civilian administration, and ask ourselves some soul-searching questions and undertake a honest self-appraisal. We must look back as a nation to where we started and how we got here, decide where we want to be and plan how we will get there. We must ask ourselves if this is where we should be after fifty-years of independence and if we are satisfied with where we are.

    If we are where we should be after fifty-five years of independence, the question then is if we want to remain here forever. If we are not where we should be, where did we get it wrong, where did we derail, where did we fail, or did we even start right now? This is where self-appraisal and evaluation come in. We must ask ourselves what attitudes, actions, and behaviours are of benefit to us, the ones we need to adjust or modify, the ones we need to uphold and continue, and the ones must classify as NEVER AGAIN!

     As a people, we have our weaknesses and shortcomings that are common with every human species, but the immediate past administration exposed some base instincts that most do not know are inherent in us. We simply descended to the level we never thought we could get and became an object of scorn to the civilized world. Standards were not only lowered, they were eventually wiped out. We became a nation that had no standards. All that we had hitherto held sacrosanct were thoroughly desecrated and the word “sacrilege” made no meaning to us. If this nation is to make any progress and be an object of pride to the citizens, we must do a soul-searching on some issues, look ourselves in the eyes, and say NEVER AGAIN!

    Never again should mediocrity be made a template of governance. Nigerians are among the most brilliant, intelligent, and resourceful people in the world. Why then should charlatans and mediocre be the ones “gifted” the responsibility of leadership? Why should Nigeria be led by men and women to whom failure is not an anathema? Why should Nigeria be led by men and women who cannot distinguish between failure and success? Never again should public officials and officers see and carry themselves as the lords of the manor. People in leadership positions, elected and appointed, must render service to the citizens, not as a favour but as a duty.

     Never again should we have in government men and women who celebrate locomotive train as achievement in the twenty-first century. With such men and women in leadership positions, the country will be permanently resident in the past. Never again should we have in leadership positions men and women who celebrate the sinking of borehole when the rest of humanity is planning on going to the moon to spend holidays. Never again should public funds be used to breed and sustain executive thugs and other dregs of humanity. Never again should those who derive their livelihood from sycophancy be given any reception or welcomed anywhere close to the corridor of power. They are cancerous to the society and serve no useful purpose. Never again should men and women who compete with the Devil for the trophy of lies be the spokespersons of government, Nigerians must be abreast per time of information concerning their country. This new administration should look for and engage the very best that Nigeria has to offer, they abound everywhere.

    Never again should impunity be turned to a tool of administering the state. Agents of state, no matter the position they occupy, must also subject themselves to the laws of the land.   Never again should the country be run as an enlarged version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, when leaders are law-abiding, the followers are left with no other choice but to follow. Anarchy begins when some see themselves and begin to act as though they are above the law. Never again should the looting of the nation’s treasury be turned into a bazaar where every officer of the state is in competition to out-steal the other. If corruption in the last administration is thoroughly investigated, I have no doubt that Abacha’s administration will smell like roses. Let it be clear to the uninitiated that Buhari did not contest against Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, he contested against one of the most entrenched corrupt systems the world has ever known. News has it that some military officers are richer than some politicians, proceeds from several trillions of naira in defence budgets over the years. This administration must replace the gate to the nation’s treasury that was completely unhinged.

    Never again should the military and other agents of state be shamelessly deployed for partisan purposes. The military, besides serving as a national institution that symbolizes sovereignty, is also a symbol of unity and strength of the nation. Deploying them for partisan purposes de-robes them of the garment of confidence and honour that the people have willingly and gladly clothe them with. A nation that loses confidence in its military is just a step away from disintegration and loss of sovereignty. This administration must move decisively to restore the honour of the military and repair its image in the eyes of the citizens.

    Never again should people have access to power except by the express permission of the citizens through legitimate votes. Until political leaders know that they are answerable to the electorate, there’s no guarantee that they will genuinely serve the people and deliver on their electoral promises. The last election process was commendable, but it is still a work in progress, we’re not yet at the destination. This administration must see to it that electoral officers found to have abused public trust are not only dismissed, they must be brought before the law to answer for their misdeeds. The most fundamental dividend of democracy is the power and ability of the people to decide who their leaders should be.

    Never again should religion be employed as a tool to gain political advantage. This administration has a duty and responsibility to take concrete and deliberate steps to steer this nation away from the path of religious politics. People should be considered for leadership positions not on account of their religion, but on account of their character, integrity, and competence. The most despicable people are those who use religion to manipulate people to gain political advantage. This administration must ensure that every Nigerian is free to practice whatever religion they subscribe to in any part of the country without fear of molestation, intimidation, or persecution. This administration must be deliberate in its resolve not to be clothed with the toga of religion.

    Never again should we have a First Lady who will be remembered more for her nuisance value instead of whatever quality she added to the presidency. Never again should we have a First Lady who appropriated presidential powers and in the process presented our president as the one who wears the bra. The president should know that some of the votes he garnered are gifts from the former First Lady. Some decent Nigerians were simply tired of having her around even though they would have voted for her husband. It is important that our First Lady know her limits because how she comports herself in the public will give us an idea of who she is at home as a housewife.

    The slogan of the ruling party is “Change.”  We sincerely hope to see positive change in the way we think, act, and behave. Change in the way the country is run, change in how leaders see and carry themselves, change in the way the citizens are treated, change in the direction the nation is heading, and change in our belief system. In the final analysis, the people clamouring for “change” are simply saying “NEVER AGAIN”

    Oladapo wrote in from Ogbomoso, Oyo State

  • Re: Osoba: The veteran politician at bay

    Or Olatunji Dare’s piece, Osoba: The veteran politician at bay, published in the back-page of the Nation on May 12, was an elegant public relations stunt. Any reader without the knowledge of the politics of Ogun State in recent years will come to the conclusion that Chief Olusegun Osoba was shortchanged by the current governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

     

    From the very choice of the title, the writer meticulously crafted the piece to arouse public sympathy for Osoba and adroitly cast Amosun in bad light. Dr Dare clearly scored an offside goal, which must be disallowed.

    Wrote the columnist, “Hounded ceaselessly by Gbenga Daniel who never saw an opponent he did not want to destroy, Osoba went into political hibernation in Lagos, where he busied himself rebuilding the Ogun State ACN and positioning it to return to power in 2007 with Ibikunle Amosun, a former PDP Senator, as Governor… Then, things began to go sour.  Osoba could not get his nominees appointed to the state’s cabinet or given senior positions in the Amosun administration, I gather.  Though chair of the ACN in Ogun State, his influence was at best slight.  He found himself being pushed closer and closer to the margins.”

    Dr Dare will not be the first to slant the mutually-beneficial relationship between Osoba’s ACN and a new entrant from the ANPP, Ibikunle Amosun, which culminated in the latter’s victory at the governorship election in 2011. But the public deserves to know the whole truth.

    Movement of politicians from one party to another is not new in Nigeria; and until we overcome the problem of lack of internal democracy and ensure electoral justice at all times through a level-playing ground for all members of a political party, such will continue.

    Amosun was a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic from 2003 to 2007 on the platform of PDP. In that 2003 Ogun Central senatorial election, Chief Osoba, then incumbent governor and leader of AD, lost his polling booth, ward and local council to Amosun, a grassroots politician par excellence. If one may add in parenthesis, it is not surprising that the same fate befell Osoba’s SDP in the recently-concluded general elections. It lost at all levels to Amosun’s APC.

    In 2007, Amosun contested the governorship election in Ogun on the platform of ANPP. The AD, under the leadership of Chief Osoba, fielded Chief Dipo Dina (of blessed memory) as its candidate. At the close of the poll, the incumbent governor, Gbenga Daniel of the PDP, was declared winner. Amosun was second while Osoba’s AD came third. An enraged Amosun contested the results because he believed he won the election. And the general feeling in Ogun up till today is that Amosun won the 2007 election but his victory was upturned from ‘above’.

    The public was fed up with the PDP anyway, but how do you dislodge them from power in the state when the incumbent governor, Gbenga Daniel, was poised to install a successor at all cost? By 2010, ANPP had suffered some setbacks nationally. Amosun, consumed with passion to restore the glory of Ogun State and make it 21st century compliant, then decided to pitch his tent with ACN. He was welcomed. But why was he given the governorship slot when ACN already had candidates jostling for the post? Simple. Amosun, based on his performance in 2007 and his public profile as a grassroots politician, stood a better chance to deliver victory for ACN. In other word, Amosun came with immense electoral value and goodwill while ACN had better platform in comparison to ANPP. So, it was a win-win situation for both Amosun and Osoba.

    There were other intrigues that played out, especially on the choice of candidates for the Ogun State House of Assembly and National Assembly. Amosun, not being a rookie in politics, would not commit political hara-kiri by meeting all the expectations and demands of Osoba or walk into a political trap that would have turned him into a figure-head governor who could be impeached on flimsy grounds in order to satisfy the whims and caprices of a godfather. In such circumstances, the extraordinary achievements witnessed today in Ogun would have been impossible.

    Contrary to the impression created in the said piece, half of the politicians in the cabinet of Ogun State are from Osoba’s camp. Indeed, there are many loyalists of  Osoba, including his direct nominees, holding senior positions in the government and totally dominating at the party level of the ruling APC in Ogun State. Could Amosun, who is an exemplar of prudence in public finance management in Nigeria, have bought all of them over? Certainly, no. Why then are they following him? It is because they believe in his Mission to Rebuild Ogun State. And the outstanding results are there all across the state for everyone to see.  

    The governor is a thoroughbred Yoruba who will not attack or abuse his elders. And it is to his credit that despite the acerbic attacks and abuses directed at him from the Osoba camp, no one can accuse Amosun of ever insulting Chief Osoba.

    According to Dr Dare, “The day Osoba returned to Ogun State and his home in Abeokuta has got to be one of the most glorious in his eventful life.   He was met at the Lagos-Ogun boundary by a cavalcade of jubilant party men and women, admirers, and supporters, and escorted to the state capital and his home with song and dance.  Rarely had the ancient city witnessed such a carnival.”

    Could it be possible that the writer knew about this “Osoba’s triumphant entry” but was not aware that Amosun was at the vanguard of that memorable home-coming arrangement for Osoba?

    Disagreement is a human phenomenon. Even at the best of time, husband and wife disagree let alone participants in a political marriage. While Amosun was still expressing the hope that the misunderstanding would be resolved as one family, just like Dr Olatunji Dare said he attempted to do, Chief Osoba closed the door against reconciliation in the following words at his residence in Ibara, Abeokuta in May, 2014:

    “Where we are now, no room for harmonization or reconciliation… not even 70/30; 80/20; 95/5… I vowed to them that I will not forgive or reconcile with anybody…As I stand before you today, I swear before God and Jesus Christ, my Lord, I promised you all that the issue of forgiveness is no more… They said they have set up elders’ committee, don’t mind them. I don’t know who is older than me politically among them. None of them is closer to Awolowo than I was. I wined and dined with him… They are coming very soon, when they come, they would not meet me… Leave them, we are moving to the Promised Land and over there, there are many offices and positions available…”

    Not a few argued that no astute politician could have uttered such words. Indeed, I know not a few loyalists or fans of Osoba both within and outside Ogun that recoiled and turned back on account of his near blasphemous words.

    Ordinarily, Amosun is now in a position to gloat over his victory against Osoba after such a titanic battle. But he is not a triumphalist. He believes power comes from God. Besides, he has no personal axe to grind with Osoba. It is a question of political differences.  Amosun will continue to treat Osoba with utmost respect and will be the first to seize by the forelock any opportunity for political reconciliation.

     

    • Adeyemi served as Senior Special Assistant on Communications to the governor of Ogun State.

  • As Udom takes the baton from Akpabio

    The Holy Bible  says that there is time for everything under the sun; going ahead to cite the transient nature of life and living. In the same vein, there is time for every government to come to an end; when office holders will look back at the years spent in service and beat their chests in pride or become downcast at the fluffed opportunities and efforts wasted, which could have translated into better lives for the people or greater service.

    For Nigeria, that time is now. As the country witnesses another transition tomorrow, there is no doubt that many present office holders would officially become yesterday men, with only the memory of the good or bad they had done lingering. The evil [or good] that men do, they say, lives after them.

    It is also time for the today men, those taking over different offices, bearing in mind posterity and the transience of political offices, to set their sights on good governance and selfless service [or rejoice over the opportunity to enrich themselves]. Whichever way it goes, whatever has a beginning will always have an end. But that end doesn’t always have to be regrettable or viewed with disappointment. This is the case in Akwa Ibom State, where Chief Godswill Akpabio, has spent the last eight years in office building infrastructure and developing human capacity in different ways. Though opinions may differ on the performance of the outgoing government in the state, there can only be one conclusion; that Akpabio is leaving the state better than he met it in 2007 and that Akwa Ibom people do, indeed, have a reason to rejoice about the state in the areas of physical development, education, agriculture, fiscal discipline and infrastructure.

    Right from his first days in office, Akpabio had set his sight on changing the story of the state, which was hitherto known for being the highest supplier of house-helps and children engaging in dirty lowly and menial jobs in different parts of the country. Back then, hardly would one get to any middle class home in Lagos and not meet an Okon, Akpan or Idarabong attending to one’s needs on the order of the home owners. But immediately Akpabio took over power, he demonstrated his determination to put an end to such despicable record. With the introduction of the free compulsory education scheme, children of school age were not only returned to schools, many who had been ferried off to distant places for menial jobs were returned to the state to enjoy the free primary and secondary school education introduced by the government, with the government paying for examination fees and the provision of text books. The free education scheme earned Akpabio several awards and commendations, with his action being likened to that of the late Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whose legacy of free education placed him shoulder above other leaders. Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka was one of the many people who commended Akapbio’s stride in education.

    The Akpabio government also helped in the accreditation of courses in the higher institutions in the state, while there he also instituted a foreign scholarship for students in science and engineering disciplines. Under the Akpabio government, the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) grew in leaps and bounds, becoming an enviable institution, which indigenes of the state can be proud of. Only last week, the governor promised to release the balance of N500 million grant for development projects in the institution, noting that his government had earlier released N1.5 billion for the same purpose. Without a doubt, it will be difficult for the history of AKSU’s development to be written without mentioning the outgoing governor.

    To cap his commitment to education, Governor Akpabio ensured that the infrastructural transformation of the state also touched the education sector, building hundreds of classrooms and other facilities. However, what will remain one of his greatest achievements in this regard is the e-library he constructed in Uyo, a development that attracted the attention of who-is-who in the country as a first of its kind project.

    Without contention, the complete overhaul of the state’s infrastructure is the handiwork of the Akpabio administration. From the first year in office, the governor turned the state into big construction site and eight years down the line, Akwa State can boast of world-standard roads across the state, with over 400 roads spanning over 1,300 kilometres built. During the same period, the outgoing government delivered a standard airport, which has now become the pride of the Niger Delta; built a first-of-its-kind flood control mechanism in Uyo and Abak, constructed one of the best stadium in Africa, christened The Nest of Champions, constructed a world class entertainment centre called Ibom Tropicana and also the Ibom Power Plant, which generates over 80 megawatts today. As a matter of fact, Akpabio’s detractors always come short of words whenever they reach the topic of infrastructure, anytime they criticise him, with some noting that infrastructure was the only thing he achieved in eight years, though they know that this is far from truth for a governor who delivered an all-round development.

    To drive home its vision of human development, the state government introduced several empowerment and employment schemes ranging from micro-credit facilities for the market women and youths interested in agriculture to the introduction of inter-ministerial direct labour jobs, which engaged youths in some of the projects of government. The government also encouraged private investments, making the state attractive and conducive for local and foreign investors. The government-introduced empowerment programmes for women and farmers were to make life easier for the people of the state. While some may argue that poverty is pervasive in Nigeria, Akpabio’s efforts at empowering women through agriculture as well as taking the restive youths off the street, no doubt, lifted the state from the abyss of poverty. Through the Women Agro-Entrepreneurship Development Programme, a scheme that earned Akwa Ibom State a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) award in 2012, the state government under Akpabio changed the story of the state in terms of agriculture. The governor, it would be recalled, received a United States Congress Award for human development.

    In the tourism sector, the outgoing Akpabio administration has placed the state on the world tourism map, with the organisation of the yearly 9999 carol singers, and just this year he broke the Guinness Book of Records as the only governor to have had the largest number of choral singers in one place in the world.  The construction and commissioning of the Sheraton Hotel in Ikot Ekpene, the almost completed Tropicana Hotel and other tourism infrastructures across the state are enough testimonies of his giant strides in that sector.

    In the health sector, the recent completion of a 308-bed international specialist hospital in Uyo appeared to be the icing on the cake for a government that has shown nothing but passionate commitment to the improvement of the health sector in the last eight years. But before then, the government had built general hospitals in different local governments of the state and equipped several hospitals to give care to the people of the state. The cottage hospitals built in Ika, Ibeno, Eastern Obolo, Essien Udim and Ukanafun Local Government Areas are a few examples, with the provision of medical equipment to the School of Nursing, Anua. Other efforts of the outgoing government in the area of health include: donation of N50 million to University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) and building of a paediatrics block; building of an oxygen plant at General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, activation and expansion of eight Anti-Retroviral therapy centres; construction of Renal Dialysis centre/donation of 17 Dialysis machines to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital; procurement of state-of-the-art ambulances, among others. But for me, and probably thousands of Akwa Ibom indigenes, the biggest achievement of the Akpabio government in the health sector is the introduction of free medical services to children, pregnant women and the elderly.

    Today, Akpabio can only look back and retrospect on what he has achieved for the state and it is sure that posterity will speak well of him. Also, the new governor and the man who receives the baton from Akpabio can beat his chest for being part of the state’s success stories in the last few years, having occupied the office of the Secretary to the State Government before this call for higher responsibility. But Udom Emmanuel has more reasons to beat his chest in pride. He is the man saddled with the responsibility of taking the state to the next level; he is the one who God’s will has fallen on to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

     

    • Udom is Special Assistant to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State on Media.

  • Comments

    ‘Many thanks for your article ‘So long, Dr Jonathan’. I expect seasoned senior journalists to come together like the Nollywood artists, to devote a day of The Nation to highlight all the sins of Jonathan. I also believe that God has been so wicked to Nigeria to have allowed Obasanjo to foist Jonathan on us. President Jonathan is an economic disaster and history will not forgive him as the worst thing to have come from the Niger Delta. Am deep-heartedly ashamed to be an Ijaw man. – Anonymous’ 

    For Olatunji Dare

    Prof Dare, you are jealous of Mr Tony Blair’s achievements. You are jealous that even though you are older than him, he looks older than you. He even has more grey hairs than you. Older people are found of grey hairs – jealousy. You argue often that you are against unemployment, now why are you against a man for being employed after he lost his job? Is Africa no longer capable of providing a job for a British who lost his job? Is that not a pride to Nigeria? Anyway, thank you for the factual thrill. – Anonymous

    Dear Prof, I had the opportunity to read the first part of this article on Tony Blair in 2010. But I must admit that today’s piece is a masterstroke. I always look forward to reading your column because you are not only intelligent and fearless but also honest to your topics. You do not allow sentiments to dictate your diction. I am always proud of you. May Almighty God continue to reinforce your vision and cogitation of issues that affect our lives. You are my inspiration for writing. God bless, sir. – Anonymous

    So, why is APC inviting Tony Blair? Who facilitated this? It is sad. – Anonymous 

    Sir, your treatise on the kind of person Tony Blair, former Britain prime minister, is, revealing and insightful. You are inspiring. – Anonymous

    Send Buhari 1,000 copies of this article before he is made to hit the ground running on May 29. I note that he is guest speaker at an APC show in Abuja tomorrow. – From Prof Jide Ajayi

    Thank you for this in-depth exposure of  Blair’s evil acts, that today, have left Iraq and Iraqis a ruined nation. Blair and Bush should be made to face crimes against humanity. President Buhari should distance himself from a liar and war criminal, begging for influence. – From Fred

    Thanks for this incisive and truth-based article. I wish the world was made of more cerebral people. I am actually surprised that someone could write this from The Nation generally perceived as bereft of objective reportage. Please keep this up. – Anonymous

    Your article on Blair is a total washout to those of us who spend our meagre pension to buy papers. He who has no past sin should cast the first stone. Enough of past fault finding. – Anonymous

    Thanks for this illuminating piece, titled: “An unwelcome visitor” on Blair which appeared in The Nation of May 19. That he is full of falsehood and barefaced lies is not known to many Nigerians and your article is an eye-opener. I hope that the President-elect or his handlers are aware of his antics. God bless. – Anonymous

    I enjoy reading you from your University of Lagos days. But your two articles on Osoba and Blair are unsavoury diatribes on spent forces. Please give us inspiring columns in future. – From Bayode Ogunmupe.

    Hi, Brother Dare. Hope this gets to you after all failed efforts in the past. Very many thanks for your piece on one of our continuing external western colonial tormentors, poor Tony Blair. Of course, he and his cohorts will always find willing hands with our caliphate internal colonialists in the odious tasks of our perennial underdevelopment. We are watching what the nature of the new CHANGE mantra may bring. – From Akingba.

     

    For Segun Gbedegesin 

    I love your article and work on Statism, regionalism and nationalism. But I would prefer you write a book on this, invite the proponents of “Regionalism”, including the President, his executive and members of the National Assembly for the launch and review. I think that in so doing, your message would go a long way. This, sir, is my humble suggestion. Thanks. – From Mr Josiah, Port Harcourt.

    Many thanks for your article ‘So long, Dr Jonathan’. I expect seasoned senior journalists to come together like the Nollywood artists, to devote a day of The Nation to highlight all the sins of Jonathan. I also believe that God has been so wicked to Nigeria to have allowed Obasanjo to foist Jonathan on us. President Jonathan is an economic disaster and history will not forgive him as the worst thing to have come from the Niger Delta. Am deep-heartedly ashamed to be an Ijaw man. – Anonymous

    Obasanjo never practised what he preached! It seemed alright to proclaim corruption to the high heavens for others but went behind and was extremely corrupt himself! If Obasanjo and, indeed, anyone else ala Saraki has stolen, Buhari should collect it, if he wants to be remembered after eight years! – Anonymous

    Dr. Jonathan  did not understand the fundamental society value shifts of the emergence of new value before assuming duties, no awareness of possible choice, relief, often in a democracy. His option on transformation were nurtured out of faith. Permit me for what I said. He was busy praying for a change and forgot that it originates from individuals and from the grassroots through liberty, which induced organic adjustments are the foundation of all kinds of changes. My question is:  where are we now? Where do we want to go? And who will take us there? That is “to a logical starting point based on the situation in our country’’. – Anonymous

    With genuine intensions, sincerity of purpose, a clear conscience and a dogged pursuit of intellectual honesty, leadership can be really simple and easy but the average dullard has turned leadership, good governance and accountability into an insurmountable myth! – Anonymous

    Re: So long, Dr. Jonathan. You have said it all. We must all see the recent election as a contest between the Hen and the Cage (Aago) which took place in a village square to determine who was supreme between the two of them. At the appointed time and place, the villager were already gathered and musical rendition of: E wi f’alejo ko lo. E fi sasara b’agbo, rent the air. The hen, in its characteristic nature, started to boast: I will defeat the Cage, come what may, emi okunrin meeta. The cage remained calm, cool and collected. Going by the calibre of those coming to watch the contest, one expected to see Hyena, Wolf and Cat. It was quite obvious that the Hen will lose the contest, if not completely devoured by the hungry Wolf. But, when the contest was about to begin, the Hen, on sighting the Wolf, ran inside the Cage for safety and so, metaphorically, the Cage won the contest. Although Dr. Jonathan actually accepted defeat and congratulated Buhari, his body language has been that if an expatriate  about to retire, he will defecate on his official seat to spite his successor. It is not too good. Look at what is happening in the country. The people are suffering because of scarcity of fuel. This is just a gimmick to make things difficult for the incoming administration. What a government. What a President. – From Prince Adewumi Oyeromade Agunloye

  • Fayemi: Let charity begin at home

    It is not by sheer accident of event but by deliberate self-design that wherever the All Progressives Party (APC) president-elect, Mohammadu Buhari finds himself, there is always Dr Kayode Fayemi, the self-acclaimed doctorate degree holder in War Studies with supposed specialization in Civil-Military Relations. Yet, in Ekiti State, where he last governed as governor, kidnapping, sectarian fighting and general insecurity has been on the increase in recent time without a single word of concern from this so-called expert in war studies.

    While Ekiti continues to boil without any iota of interests from Fayemi, he enjoys being in the news and being referred to as the head of the outdated Policy, Research and Strategy directorate of APC Campaign Council that invited former British Premier, Tony Blair, to deliver its keynote address on the implementation of the Agenda for Change at the party’s two-day policy dialogue in Abuja recently.

    What is quite objectionable is the fact that Blair diminished the significance of the lecture, probably because of his ratings of the organizers when he deemed it unnecessary to attend but send Peter Benjamin Mandelson, who was Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in his administration to deliver the keynote lecture on his behalf. For whatever it’s worth, it is an indubitable fact that the campaign council has compulsorily finished its duty immediately after the general elections and all other party duties revert to the appropriate organs set up by the party hierarchy to discharge such; hence, the latest one performed by the Policy, Research and Strategy directorate under Fayemi is no exception in this regard.

    This writer doubts whether the rightful party organ saddled with the responsibility of performing the function of organising such forum for the president-elect’s policy discourse would not have deliberated extensively amongst the topmost hierarchy of the party and even amongst a broad spectrum of the party’s intelligentsia before determining who to invite for such an important party forum; and this is with the mindset that such could go a long way in establishing the in-coming administration’s seriousness about tackling the myriads of problems facing the country.

    The gaffe that Fayemi, in his dictatorial fashion, and his committee that he largely controls, was unambiguously exposed in Olatunji Dare, Professor Emeritus’ recent column in this newspaper titled: An unwelcome visitor in which he, in his usual frank nature, highlighted the posturing of Blair while serving as British Premier against especially Iraq and in other places and his subsequent deployment of such exalted position, after leaving office, to pursue mercantilist neo-colonial inclination among less powerful countries of the world. This globally revered journalism teacher and internationally respected columnist also in that piece exposed the disdain of most Europeans and the British people for their former premier.

    And unfortunately for the incoming Buhari administration, this is the inglorious character that Fayemi beckoned on at a huge price that would one day be released for public consumption, to grace such an epochal occasion of the APC and its president-elect, to deliver a keynote lecture. This is a reflection of the neo-colonial mindset of Fayemi and how far he has lost touch with the needs of not only Ekiti people but that of the entire people of this country. It is a pity if Buhari thinks this kind of person has anything to offer his administration other than to further alienate it from the people, and in no time rubbish the acclaim that is about to usher Buhari to power on May 29.

    Here is how Professor Dare described Blair, Fayemi’s bosom friend and policy discussant in his recent piece: ‘It was entirely in character that Blair should have presumed at every stop to speak for the “international community,” though he holds no public office and is in fact a hugely discredited politician who, in a just world, should be in prison serving time for war crimes.’’ He  continued: ‘So unpopular and discredited had he become at the end of his record tenure as prime minister that he could not embark on a farewell tour of Britain, where he was sure to be greeted with shouts of “Liar, Liar” and pelted with tomatoes and eggs. They even re-christened him Bliar. And so, he travelled instead to bid farewell to British troops in Basra, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. Blair’s quest to become president of the European Council ended in humiliation. The British government withdrew its backing when it became clear that member countries wanted nothing to do with him…The last time Blair went to testify before a parliamentary committee looking into how the UK entered the unholy alliance that invaded, occupied and destroyed Iraq, he had to be smuggled into the committee room through a back door, to save him from the wrath of protesters.’’ At another instance, he stated: ‘This was not the way the script was supposed to end for the youngest prime minister…But hubris and delusion soon set in, and glory turned to ashes.’’

    Blair that Fayemi allegedly got appearance funds to sponsor from a mushroom international organisation, sadly through a proxy ,to deliver that APC keynote policy address would not be globally forgotten for his infamous role in the crime against humanity in Iraq just to send only Saddam Hussein, its leader packing from office. Professor Dare gave a picture of how it happened when he wrote that Blair ‘published a dossier on what he said was Iraq’s weapons-of-mass-production programme.  It was a “dodgy” document, copied in part from a sophomoric doctoral dissertation that an American university had rejected. Next, he put it out that Iraq had sought to buy uranium cake from Niger Republic.  The document detailing the alleged transaction was a transparent forgery. The minister who purportedly signed on behalf of the Niger government had left office at least eight years earlier.’’ What then informed the invitation of a forger to such an important APC policy discourse?    The problems of Nigeria are not the organisation of policy discourses as such were had in abundance in the past. What Nigeria wants is how the current power problem could be resolved permanently; how fuel would return to the filling stations at a cheap price per litre with a permanent end to its scarcity; how insecurity will disappear from this clime; how gainful employment will be available to millions seeking for it; how the economy and the naira will stabilise and how infrastructure and institutions of state would be rebuilt and restored for good. Discredited leaders that tickle the fancy of Fayemi like Blair cannot make that happen.

    In retrospect, Fayemi as chairman of the APC National convention committee that organized the party’s primaries worked against Buhari’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate and the way he now niftily pushes the man in the wrong direction, since after the election could alienate the new helmsman from the people that voted for him, like he sadly did in Ekiti as governor for himself. This nefarious move makes one doubt whether Fayemi really wants the president-elect to succeed. To Fayemi, it does not seem that charity begins at home; otherwise, he should by now be seen to be working in Ekiti to see how to put APC in the right footings, again.

     

    • Dr. Adamolekun, an educationist wrote in from Ado-Ekiti.

  • I wanted to see Buhari in London…

    The time was a little before midnight on Friday, May 22. The place was a small, quiet, almost rural city in the British East Midlands. Apart from a brief stroll to the university library to pay some fines and renew some long over-due school books, and the inevitable cross-over to the nearby Morrisons’ supermarket to buy a few groceries, I had been sitting up in my apartment all day, and all night, battling with a chapter in a long overdue PhD thesis.

    When I found that my mind was beginning to wander off the topic of my chapter, I went to the kitchen, unpacked the few groceries I bought at the supermarket and took a couple of bananas – my favourite fruit. I looked around the fully-fitted kitchen in the self-catering apartment. What a waste – I sighed ruefully. Yes, the kitchen was a veritable waste.

    When I felt I had had enough for the night, I closed the chapter and, before unplugging the laptop, I went to the Internet to read Nigerian newspapers online – a veritable companion when you are out of the country, and out of reach of hard newspaper copies.  Then, as I browsed leisurely through the papers, I saw an interesting piece of news:  “Buhari Jets Out on Private Visit to Britain”. The story went on to say that: “The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday left for Britain on a private visit, his first such trip outside the country since winning the March 28 presidential election.

    “In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by its head, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Media Team of the President-elect said General Muhammadu Buhari will use the opportunity of the visit to take a much-deserved rest ahead of his inauguration on May 29th. He is expected back in the country a few days before the inauguration, refreshed and ready to hit the ground running once he is sworn into office,’’ he said.

    Suddenly, my lethargy was gone. The journalist in me kicked in quickly. As they say, “once a journalist, always a journalist”. As a soldier and a politician, General Muhammadu Buhari was news, any day, any night. And now, as the President-Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Buhari is news, any day, any night – at home or abroad. Would he have any public engagements in the UK? Would he make another appearance at the Chatham House – to make a post election speech? I wanted to be there – to report it.

    My desire to see the newly-minted President-to-be in London was not for any frivolous purpose like organized visits and courtesy calls. The Taciturn One does not suffer frivolities gladly. It was for the purpose of journalism work: to see if I could do a couple of reports on the President-elect’s visit for a couple of Nigerian newspapers I sometimes contribute to. Journalism is a stern and jealous god…

    I hit the internet and started checking if I could find any public engagement listed for the President-elect in the UK. I drew blanks. I started working the phones. It was already Saturday morning. I called Akintayo Adetokunbo, a popular news anchor with the VOX television in London – and my erstwhile classmate in the PhD programme who has had the courage to complete and submit his thesis. Tayo called back a few moments later. He was also very interested in the news of the President-elect’s visit to the UK and would love to cover it – but he did not yet have any details of the programme.

    I called the London office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), listed on a second floor apartment on the famous Grays Inn Road. The line failed to connect repeatedly. They had probably changed lines. But I hoped they had not closed shop – with the funding problems NAN is reported to be having. I sent an email to NAN head office in Abuja to Isaac Ighure, NAN’s Editor-in-Chief and an erstwhile very good friend of mine who I have woefully failed to keep in contact with. My email promptly bounced back as “undeliverable”.

    Then I sent an email also to T.G. Adeniyi, the Minister / Special Assistant to the Nigerian High Commissioner, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafilda – seeking information on any scheduled public engagements of the President-elect in the UK. Then I checked my train cards and bus tickets and settled down to wait – ready for a quick shuttle to London to see Buhari…

    And, sooner than later, the news broke on Saturday, May 23: President-elect Buhari had had a meeting in London with Prime Minister Cameron. In a press statement issued from Downing Street, a government spokesman said Prime Minister Cameron met with President-elect Buhari of Nigeria and the two leaders discussed the challenges facing Nigeria.

    The Statement said in full: “The Prime Minister welcomed President-elect Buhari of Nigeria to Downing Street this morning. Both leaders congratulated each other on their recent election victories and discussed the challenges facing Nigeria. The Prime Minister stressed the UK’s wish to work for a stable, prosperous and secure Nigeria.

    “The leaders discussed security in the region and the fight against terrorism, particularly the threat posed by Boko Haram. They discussed the need for a regional approach and agreed to continue working together to build the capacity of the Nigerian army, with the UK continuing to provide military training and intelligence support.

    “On tackling corruption, they agreed this was a priority to ensure Nigeria’s prosperity and success. The Prime Minister agreed to look at what technical assistance and support the UK could provide to the Nigerian government as it looks to undertake its reforms. They also discussed the need to tackle organised crime and the links between the UK and Nigeria. Finally, they talked about the challenges posed by migration from Africa to Europe and the President-elect said he would do all he could to secure Nigeria’s borders.”

    If President-elect Buhari was to have such an important scheduled meeting in Britain with the Right Honourable Prime Minister David Cameron – surely, that is work, not rest, or isn’t it? I have not heard it said that Buhari was just walking past the doors of No. 10 Downing Street – and then, on a whim, decided to stroll into the Prime Minister’s residence to say hi to Mr. Cameron.

    When the story broke here in England about Buhari’s visit “to rest” and to “refresh” himself before his inauguration, it became a major talking point for many Nigerians here. Two Nigerians I met who were having lunch in a small, roadside Asian “chicken and chips” restaurant near the city centre were deeply engrossed in a discussion of Buhari’s visit.

    “These our leaders have no shame: from Governors, Senators, Ministers to Presidents. They jet into Western Europe and North America to ‘rest’ or to treat every minor ailment – from common colds to headaches. But they cannot bring themselves to provide the same facilities in Nigeria.”

    I finished my modest “meal deal” quickly and left – after exchanging brief banters with the Nigerians. I did not have the time, or the energy, to engage in a tedious discussion of Nigeria’s many ills. But as I walked away from London Road, back towards the University Road, I kept worrying about the import of Mallam Garba Shehu’s strange statement about President-elect Buhari’s visit to the UK “to rest”.

    The Taciturn One is not also the Soft One. On the contrary, Buhari is known as a tough, lean, no-nonsense general, given to a very austere, Spartan lifestyle. His media handlers do him a great disservice, so early in the day, if they create the general impression that he flew into the UK, at public expense, no doubt, just to rest and to refresh – in readiness for his inauguration – while the President-elect came obviously on a national assignment.

    ‘If President-elect Buhari was to have such an important scheduled meeting in Britain with the Right Honourable Prime Minister David Cameron – surely, that is work, not rest, or isn’t it? I have not heard it said that Buhari was just walking past the doors of No. 10 Downing Street – and then, on a whim, decided to stroll into the Prime Minister’s residence to say hi to Mr. Cameron’

    •    Onyemaobi, a journalist and development communications specialist, writes from the UK.