The Nation Newspaper

Category: Mobolaji Sanusi

  • Before we crucify Asiwaju….

    Before we crucify Asiwaju….

    The governorship election in Ondo State has come and gone but its reverberations are being felt across the country. From whatever prism, the victor won by simple majority even though victory is victory (see Emmanuel Aziken, Vanguard Newspaper of Sunday, October 21, 2012). Majority of the accredited voters voted against the incumbent governor of Ondo. That says a lot about the governor’s acceptability profile. But my instinct as a columnist tells me that the election, to a reasonable extent, was free and fair and the important thing is that Ondo people have spoken. That is the majesty of democracy.

    However, the outcome of that Ondo election has led to outpours of resentful verbiage against the Action Congress of Nigeria and in particular, its most prominent national leader and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Expectedly, the media has been using that loss by ACN in that governorship election to get at Tinubu, who, hate or love him, has played a significant role in liberating the south-west people from the yoke of reactionary elements. The negative outcome of the election, no doubt, gives those who hate Tinubu’s political gusto impetus to launch virulent media invectives against him, making most times spurious claims against the man. The question is: Would these set of people be writing against the man if the pendulum of victory had swung in the direction of ACN? The answer is absolute no!

    Whoever attains the lofty height that Tinubu has attained in the leadership hierarchy of this country must expect the type of vilification that the man, popularly called Asiwaju, is passing through today. Whatever his shortcomings as a politician, the man has proved, beyond every living Nigeria of today that he is a risk taker, and in life, it is trite that anyone that would not take risk cannot go far. Even writing this is a risk to me too. Tinubu has proved to be a hater of injustice. Before those that are up in arms crucify Tinubu, they must realise that there are so many political battles that the man fought which but for God and him, the victims would have been history today.

    Two examples will suffice here. In 2006 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo moved against his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, none of the governors with same executive powers in Nigeria had the temerity to openly voice out their opposition against the oppressive conduct of Obasanjo that stand in his path to realise his ambition for tenure elongation. Atiku was even declared persona non grata in his home state of Adamawa. But he protected Atiku to the admiration of reasonable Nigerians. Were Tinubu to be the ‘selfish overtly ambitious’ man that hack writers against his person would want to portray him as, he would not have done that. Not long after Atiku got over the problem, he immediately ditched Tinubu and the rest is history today.

    Another example was that of former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja. Obasanjo in his typical kangaroo fashion masterminded his removal from the top seat of that state. He became an outcast but the humane instinct in Tinubu made him to bail the man out without making any fuss about the matter. Ladoja was surreptitiously sheltered in Lagos, provided with security and all the compliments associated with office of a governor. He was provided a legal team that fought his battle in court until he was reinstated as governor by the appellate court. One doubts if Ladoja can publicly say that Tinubu has ever made any outrageous demand from him. Today, he is the anchor man of Accord Party in Oyo which incidentally is currently governed by the ACN. These two men, Atiku and Ladoja were in the ruling PDP then, not Tinubu’s Action Congress Party. So, could this selfless humane disposition towards the underdog and the oppressed in the society be said to be another ambitious political conquest mission?

    Tinubu by any standard could not be described as a man that lacked before getting to, or after leaving power. But when the whirlwind of PDP swept across the southwest except Lagos under his control in 2003, he selflessly took it upon himself to fight the political battle. By this year, the man in collaboration with Chiefs Bisi Akande, Segun Osoba and Lam Adesina ensured that the southwest except Ondo have returned to the grip of the progressives. He helped Adam Oshiomhole of Edo state, Ibikunle Amosun in Ogun state, Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo, Rauf Aregbesola and Kayode Fayemi of Osun and Ekiti states respectively to become governors. Neither has the governor of example, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos complained to anybody publicly too!

    These governors are no fools to be dictated to by anybody. None of them have publicly come out to say that Tinubu ever tried to rule their states for them. Why then is the needless fuss by Tinubu’s political adversaries that his determination to win Ondo from Mimiko was informed by his determination to extend the frontiers of his territorial conclave?

    The way Atiku and Ladoja from the PDP and others came to Tinubu was the way Governor Olusegun Mimiko came to him for help during the period of his political tribulation when trying to retrieve his earlier mandate from the PDP electoral marauders became difficult. The battle was fought, won and promises made were later jettisoned when Mimiko got to power. The fact that Mimiko won the last election should not detract from the issue of Mimiko’s treachery that some are shamefully celebrating. A treacherous mind, no matter the resources at his disposal cannot be a dependable servant of the people. Mimiko would only know his true poor ratings in the court of public opinion after he leaves power. Whatever accolade is being showered on him today is typical of howling from power grovellers, always taking side with whoever controls the lever of power, abandoning him, the moment he loses it. Time will tell.

    Winston Churchill, war-time Premier of Britain once said: ‘Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.’Following from this is the fact that there are lessons to be learnt from issues emanating from the various media critics of ACN and Tinubu. The party must embark on compulsory self appraisal cum cleansing process. The fact that mostly what the party and its leadership are accused of, also happen in other parties, should not be an alibi. As the current bastion of progressive politics, ACN and leadership could not afford to do things the usual way, not when public perception is not in its favour.

    Tinubu deserves no damnation from anyone for embarking on the Ondo journey if that was his conviction. He wants economic integration and entrenched democratic institutions for the entire southwest. Ondo under Mimiko is lagging behind, their voting for Mimiko on October 20 notwithstanding. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962), former American First lady once said: ‘Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.’ History will definitely vindicate Tinubu and rightly puts Mimiko where he belongs, not where he is being erroneously allowed to stand at the moment.

  • Ondo: As hard labour ends in 24 hours

    Ondo: As hard labour ends in 24 hours

    ‘The voters in Ondo must ask themselves before casting their votes tomorrow whether the water Fountain constructed with millions of naira of tax payers money will translate to borehole water in the 18 local government councils in Ondo State?’ 

    In less than twenty-four hours, the people of Ondo, an oil-producing state that has not seen real development in the past three and half years will be faced with two options: That of continuing with hard labour or embracing change that a new dawn would offer. The ship of democracy that will berth in the Sunshine State early tomorrow morning will be having on board men of integrity, progressive ideas and policies that could move that beleaguered state out of abyss of phantom governance and also lead to seeking for genuine ways of removing the inhabitants from their current labourer status.

    The dearth of true development inflicted by the Governor Olusegun Mimiko administration is something that needs serious reappraisal by the good people of Ondo State. The implication of this is that Ondo voters must wisely cast their votes tomorrow so that a final end to misgovernance through deceit can end. One philosopher once said that ‘Self-criticism is the secret weapon of democracy, and candour and confession are good for the public soul.’ Were Nigeria to be a country where there is leadership self re-examination, the nation’s democracy would have gone far while all the inept rigmarole at the centre and in most of the states across the federation would have been a thing of the past. Through self appraisal, conscience, that is the real judge of human conducts, would have guided most of our leaders to take decisions that ultimately could have saved them from odious fall from power.

    Nevertheless, because most of our leaders’ lives are unexamined, the people are denied the necessary candour and confessions necessary for the upliftment of public soul. For example as a matter of digression, would it be proper for President Goodluck Jonathan to in all candour and good conscience come out to declare that he is ruling the country aright? The spate of insecurity and the walloped state of our economy are indicators that the man has lost control of the wheel of governance. Yet, he has refused to admit his failure. Rather, he continues to nurse the secret ambition of going for another term of office in 2015 when another general election will be due in the country.

    What is applicable to Mr President is replicated by most other non-performing elected officers across the federation. Take for instance Mimiko that has been running government on the pages of newspapers but has not done anything substantial on ground to warrant his self-deluding attempting of coming back to office for another term. What qualifies Mimiko for another term? Could it be his alleged depletion of the staff strength of OSOPADEC from 300 at his inception of office to an abysmal 40 now in a state where unemployment rate is high? Could it be the alleged spending of billions of naira on tomato paste production factory that is not yielding anything so far? May be the voters tomorrow may have to find out why alleged billions of naira were expended on another failed project designated Card Igbeayo (bio-data card) as if that is the most important of all the problems facing that state?

    The voters in Ondo must ask themselves before casting their votes tomorrow whether the water Fountain constructed with millions of naira of tax payers money will translate to borehole water in the 18 local government councils in Ondo State? What about the wasteful Dome centre that is yet to be completed despite Mimiko administration’s having committed over a billion naira of the state’s scarce money to the project? This man called Mimiko in three and half years has not done anything to the Ore farm village with thousands of hectares of fertile land there that could have been used to turn the state to the food basket of the nation. Mimiko promised Ondo people that he would construct six lanes on the Oba Adesida road but merely re-asphalted the road and also added some environmental abracadabra upon assumption of office. Even in Ondo where Mimiko hails from, the five-kilometre road that he commenced over three years is yet to be completed. Rather than inhale fresh air, the people of Ondo town now inhale dust arising from the uncompleted road project. What will be on the minds of Ondo town voters, in view of this unwarranted abandonment, when casting their votes tomorrow?

    The people of Ondo must show wisdom in casting their votes, which invariably is their power on Saturday. It is very glaring that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was once given the opportunity of ruling the state but wasted it. The Labour Party is about exhausting its opportunity but the party has the misgiving of using a candidate (Mimiko) that does not believe in everything that the workers’party stands for. His choice was/is an aberration. Too bad for the Labour Party for allowing a pretentious man fritter away its goodwill just like that! The only party that has not been tainted in any manner in the state is Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that presents Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) as its candidate for tomorrow’s election. In view of the track record of this party in the six states that it presently controls, a new lease of life awaits Ondo State people if they vote appropriately tomorrow.

    Ondo citizens must be assertive tomorrow because the ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all. The truth is that the voters of Ondo must realise that they, rather than a transient power over us, are the government. The ultimate rulers of our democracy should not be any President, governor, senator or elected council officials; the ultimate rulers should the voters of this country. Ondo voters must wisely demonstrate this tomorrow by voting out inept Labour Party under Mimiko.

    The people of Ondo should earnestly realise that democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. That is the real safeguard for democratic entrenchment in that state and the entire country. The real men of integrity and ideas on board the ship that will berth in Ondo waters midnight of today must not be allowed to leave the state without impacting those positive initiatives on the state for the next four years. Doing this by Sunshine state voters is the only guarantee against continuation of hard labour.

  • Ebinotopsy and mockery of endorsement

    Ebinotopsy and mockery of endorsement

    The Yoruba nation is rich in cultural values and tradition. In the land, there is a saying that until you show me your friend, then your true character can be predicted. That aphorism is time tested. Ditto the one that says birds of a feather flock together. When l was very young, Ebenezer Babatope used to be very radical and one of the models most of my peers looked up to.

    The inspiration given to the young folks of my age group by the man popularly referred to as Ebinotopsywas then a consequence of his once-upon-a-time radical ideological inclination and that of his long abandoned progressives club led by Papa Obafemi Awolowo that he identified with. Ebino did not only make name, he was also influential in then progressives’ camp of Awo as Director of Organisation of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

    The late sage was gracious enough to sponsor him abroad to go and study law as a form of compensation. All these are necessary to give an adumbrated background to younger folks that may not be conversant with what used to be the lofty antecedent of Ebinotopsy. And to later bring out the contradiction in the role he currently plays in national and especially southwest politics. Sadly, Babatope’s turn coat could be likened to that of the Biblical Saul who began with God but ended up with sorcerers. It is sad to note that an apostle of the politically revered Obafemi Awolowo later in life infamously moved the motion that led to the transmutation agenda of the notorious General Sani Abacha as the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) Presidential candidate. Worse still, he unbelievably is being allowed to use Awo’s newspaper (Nigerian Tribune) to propagate conservative ideas. What would the sage be thinking in his grave today?

    In his usual ‘bread and butter approach’ to politics since his turncoat, Ebinotopsyin his column titled: ‘’The imminent electoral battle in Ondo” published in the Nigerian Tribune, went all out to declare his unfounded support for Mimiko but fell short of handing him INEC’s Certificate of Return for another term before the election. Of course, he does not have the power to do this and this makes his endorsement meaningless!

    It was Babatope at its impishly pretentious best when he declared that it was the ‘’Awo spirit” in him that goaded him to ‘’advise the people of Ondo State to vote for Governor Mimiko at the elections.” The truth is that there is no left-over of Awoism in this man that is full of contradictions and penchant for doing what Awo will never do in his life time. Will Awo have declared support for any candidate no matter how good, outside the Action Group and later UPN? Whatever one does, ought to be done very well. Let us assume that defector Babatope is now an ardent conservative and to use his words that he now ‘’religiously belong to the PDP”, what political or moral sense is in his openly declaring support for Mimiko at the expense of Sola Oke, his party’s preferred candidate?

    Awo in his life time was averse to anti-party activities because he believed in party supremacy. Where is the Awo legacy in this man that still goes around pretending to be an Awoist? Babatope has been dumped by the progressives and l think even the PDP should no longer trust this bread and butter politician, apologies to The Nation newspapers cartoonist, Mooyiwa, that rightly depicted him as such.

    What is the empirical basis of Babatope’s support for Mimiko that now warrants the emergency exhuming of his blood consanguinity with Ondo state? He manifested the ulterior motive behind his spurious endorsement of Mimiko when in his double standard, he admitted that he could attest to the achievements of Olusegun Agagu as governor and even confessed that one of the major achievements of Agagu’s administration was his commencement of the ‘’bridge connecting Okitipupa to the riverine areas of Ondo.” On the other hand, he claimed to be sad that Mimiko government has abandoned that project and rather than scold Mimiko for proclivity for abandoning projects, he mischievously recommended ‘’strongly” that the current governor should complete the bridge in ‘’its second coming.” Perhaps, Babatope must be asked on what ground of performance assessment he was calling Ondo people to return Mimiko for second term. Yours sincerely was in Ondo State recently and could not honestly see anything on ground, especially in Akure, the state capital to qualify Mimiko for a second term in office.

    Ebinitopsy tried futilely to debunk insinuations that his endorsement must have been induced by Mimiko when he said ‘’Let me state it here in all humility that l have never sat with Mimiko discussing politics since the coming of this republic in 1999” even while inadvertently admitting that ‘’I know him well…” It is pertinent to put it to my learned colleague to tell the whole world what other ‘’things” he got or discussed with Mimiko in their previous meetings to warrant his wild endorsement of the man. He should tell us what manner of handshake makes him squeal like that.

    This is why the public is wary of his loud dubious assertion in favour of Mimiko that ‘’one good term certainly deserves another.” I put it to him that one bad turn deserves rejection. Even if he wants his cloudy reciprocity agenda by PDP to Mimiko’s Labour Party to workout, his party should not have fielded a candidate for the October 20 elections. The emergence of Segun Oke as the state’s PDP gubernatorial candidate should have silenced people like Babatope and his ilk from undermining the local Ondo PDP in their pursuit of selfish agenda.

    If historical antecedent is anything to go by, were Awo to be alive today, he would have formed a party that majority of Yoruba would be members. After his death, the closest to what the man wanted, though a military creation, was the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that had the likes of MKO Abiola and other progressives in its fold. Later other progressive parties like the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress (AC) that was not too long renamed the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) emerged in quick succession. Babatope in good conscience cannot say that Awo would have joined PDP today for whatever reason if he was alive. On the balance of probability, Awo would have joined ACN, whatever its shortcoming, were he to be alive. Why didn’t Babatope team up with ACN to make the southwest great again after years of desecration by PDP holocausts led by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo who does everything to denigrate the Awo legacy?

    His unfounded fears that ‘’it is dangerous to allow the ACN to win an oil producing state in the southwest geo-political zone” is bereft of reason. What are his parameters for arriving at that warped and sadistic conclusion? Ebinotopsy is carrying partisanship to the extreme as it shows that the likes of Babatope in the PDP will do anything to rig against ACN, even if the people voted for the party. That is more dangerous than his fears. In Yoruba land, the likes of Babatope are long forgotten in the respected political leadership hierarchy of the southwest. Yoruba nation gives no significance to deserter Awoist like Babatope that has long been discredited for promoting military notoriety at a time we were all trying to entrench democratic values. His endorsement of Mimiko is a confirmation of the saying; birds of a feather flock together.

  • Are Ondo people ready for change?

    Are Ondo people ready for change?

    ‘A permanent state of transition is man’s most noble condition.’
    ———Juan Ramón Jimenez (1881 – 1958)  Spanish poet in: “Heroic Reason”

    Ondo state appears to be the only state in the south west with a governor and party that present the most contradiction in ideological inclinations. Governor Segun Mimiko, the current helmsman of the state is one politician with chameleonic proclivity. In his pursuit of political ambition, principle has no meaning to him; integrity is to him something that can be stepped down while no association, no matter how baleful, is too crude for him to join. Mimiko’s outward shell looks simple but innately is a complex personality that may possibly con God if it is possible for any creature to do that.

    Until he assumed the position of governor of Ondo state through the instrumentality of the Appeal court over three years ago, he hobnobbed with all the governors of that state at very close levels, parting ways with them only when he realised that such dalliance might scuttle his political ambition and personal greed. Can we call this man a progressive? Can we correctly tag him as a comrade? Even, is it possible to call him a conservative politician? The answer to these important questions is capital No! Yes, he hobnobbed with former governor of the state, late Chief Adebayo Adefarati. He even served as his Commissioner for Health then but quickly deserted the man when election time came. Mr Mimiko, a medical doctor by training but a politician by vocation jumped ship to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) serving initially in the administration of Dr Segun Agagu during his first term as governor, and later joining at the centre, the draconian administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    For the same ambition that keeps chasing him around, Mimiko fought with Agagu and Obasanjo resigning at different times from their cabinets at the state and federal levels respectively. The man that presently occupies the most coveted position in Ondo state has no shame when it comes to the issue of playing politics without principle. From the progressive ship of then Alliance for Democracy (AD), he hopped on the ship of PDP, the incontrovertible reactionary ruling party in the country. After his abandonment of PDP, he consolidated his political harlotry by joining the Labour Party(LP) even when it was an open secret that this man called Mimiko was never a comrade in all his life so far. On the platform of the LP that he has never promoted in his existence, Mimiko won the governorship seat in that state that was initially denied him but for God, the court and men of means and goodwill from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that rallied round him during his most turbulent period in life. The most profound trace of labour in Ondo is the civil service and it is unarguable that the civil servants in the state are not particularly happy with Mimiko’s mis-governance of the state today. Perhaps, this is so because he has very little respect for them and the wellbeing of the people in general.

    The high expectations that heralded his assumption of office went with the winds with his avaricious hold on power and all that are incidental thereto. Mimiko in several years of being in power so far is not known to have commissioned any renowned project save for his proclivity for building motor parks and roundabouts. Even the euphoria of his laudable Abiye project has been doused by the corruption and dishonesty that tainted his moribund over a billion naira Dome project in a state that is craving for infrastructural development and industrialisation in critical areas. That abandoned Dome project that is one of his earlier projects on getting to office underscores the profligacy of his administration and a justification for the incessant visits being made to the state by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).An intellectual state like Ondo since the days of late sage, Papa Obafemi Awolowo, does not need a bogus entertainment centre like the Dome. Such is utter public consumption!

    One of my favourite quotes since my Higher School Certificate (HSC) days in the eighties remains the Latin quote, ‘vox populi, vox dei.’ I have implicit belief in this saying that the voice of the people is the voice of God. Following from this premise, it is my position that since most of, not only very close associates within and outside Ondo state that helped Mimiko to power have either resigned from his government or are not on talking terms with him, it will not be wrong to assert that majority of the people in that state are not for him and his lack lustre government again. This invariably means that the time to change the administration of the man styled ‘Iroko’ is now. Of course, it is well known in the Yoruba culture that an iroko tree that worked against the forest will be felled for his treachery- and that is what the Ondo people should do to the administration of the Mimiko iroko, come October this year.

    Mimiko will definitely fight to the finish but the battle ahead is beyond him. The time has come for him to pay for his political harlotry and chameleonic traits that have been stagnating development in Ondo. President Goodluck Jonathan should not allow himself to be deceived by the chameleon called iroko who deceived Adefarati, Agagu, Obasanjo, AD and PDP without any tinge of conscience. Mr Jonathan should not go into any agreement with Mimiko for he has little respect for its sanctity. Our embattled president should allow him go down alone with his treachery because he has enough troubles to contend with in the Boko Haram brouhaha.

    There is no doubt that Mimiko fears leaving power more than he fears disaster but there is nothing that he can do to the imminent cyclone that will sweep his irritant administration away. Though no one can claim to have seen the wind but by October when Mimiko sees the trees bowing their heads, he should quickly know that the wind of democratic change has passed through Ondo state, signalling the end of his reign as governor.

    The entire south west states, except Ondo of immortal Obafemi Awolowo, are now in the firm grips of the progressive party. The time to correct the Ondo anomaly in the hands of cunning Mimiko is just unfolding. The courageous and consistent people of Ondo since the days of Awolowo do not deserve an inconsistent and chameleonic governor like Mimiko for another term in office. To the Ondo people, my question is; are they ready to weed out the fly-by-night man called Mimiko out of office? The ball is in their court.

    NOTE: This article was first published on Friday, June 22, 2012 and is being reproduced today due to popular demand for it.

  • Mimiko/Agunloye’s romance of treachery

    Mimiko/Agunloye’s romance of treachery

    “Deceiving others: That is what the world calls a romance.”  – Oscar Wilde

    Ondo people are on the march again! Come October 20, 2012, they will troop out to vote for the next person that will rule them for another four years. The people are expectant just as many are already in the arena, striving valiantly with great enthusiasms and devotions to a worthy cause of electing a new leader that will determine their fate within the now largely politically emancipated people of the South-Western part of the country. Ondo state cannot afford to be left out of the progressive train that its current leadership obviously seems incapable of offering to them.

    However, there are some timid souls under the delusion of grandeur that are working tirelessly to undermine the coming into fruition of the desires of the people of Ondo to join the progressive train in the coming electioneering project. Two of those figures are worthy of mention because of their pedigree of deceits and treachery. Segun Mimiko, the current governor of Ondo (see my piece of Friday, June22, 2012 titled: Are Ondo people ready for change?), and Olu Agunloye, erratic politician and power gravellier. Both are supposed to be distinguished sons of that state but for their penchant proclivity for sacrificing whatever is noble in pursuit of their inordinate ambitions. The two pretends to be friends in the public even though they are presently united by questionable circumstances. To be more apt, they are friends of convenience, united albeit temporarily, by the need to stall incursion of progressive train in that Sunshine state of the west. Any good student of history will know that it is always very difficult to stop a moving train, moreso, a progressive one for that matter.

    Olu Agunloye from antecedent is not someone to be taken serious in contemporary public estimation. The apogee of his relevance was when he could truly be identified with the inimitable man of words and Noble prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka. It was on the revered Soyinka’s crest that Agunloye came to limelight, first as personal assistant to Soyinka and later as the helmsman of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC). One could easily doubt whether the Nobel award winner would still be proud of the unbridled promiscuity that has become another name for Agunloye in recent time.

    After a period in the doldrums, the man was rehabilitated by late Chief Bola Ige when the Olusegun Obasanjo administration appointed him as Minister of Mines and Power. The erudite Ige appointed him as his Personal Assistant. He followed Ige to the Ministry of Justice when the late minister was redeployed there. At the time, he was known to be one of the closest persons to that assassinated Awoist.

    The Obasanjo administration that Ige served tirelessly could not unknot the conundrum surrounding the gruesome murder of Ige in his Bodija, Ibadan residence. Even, Professor Soyinka in exasperation reportedly described the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a ‘nest of killers.’ The contrary has not been proved since Ige’s murderers are still at large.

    Not long after Ige was killed and the mystery surrounding his murder still confounding, this Agunloye was immediately‘compensated’ by the Obasanjo government. His acceptance of the offer remains a much higher mystery to Ige’s death. Where is principle in Agunloye taking up a ministerial appointment from an Obasanjo administration that Soyinka, his mentor and the public largely suspect to have had a hand in the killing of this former governor of old Oyo state. Agunloye was till the end, one of the men relied upon by that administration (Could it be for being ‘loyal’ to it?). The main issue here is more on principle because if indeed Agunloye still has any strand of principle in him, he ought, if only on ground of public morality, to have turned down the ministerial offer(Greek gift) from Obasanjo.

    Agunloye’s incongruous political life manifested in his having, like Mimiko, traversed few of the main political parties in the country today. He was in PDP from where he absconded to Labour Party and later Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). After failing to gain ‘me and today’ there, he went back to Mimiko where he is now the governor’s Man Friday. Could it be said that Agunloye was a mole in ACN, like he was allegedly presumed to be in Ige’s office?

    One thing is clear and that is the love of the man for the pocket above any noble ideal. Upon the nomination of Rotimi Akeredolu as ACN governorship candidate in Ondo, he was patient enough to sign the Osogbo declaration and to collect the booty that went with it and even lapped a large chunk of two instalments from the Lion of Bourdillon before, true to his character, jumped ship back to Labour Party that he left unceremoniously.

    Agunloye and Mimiko are not what they think they are because what they are definitely is what they hide that is now in the public domain-treachery! Through the duo, we now easily know that nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. Mimiko in simple adire with an Awo cap to match and: Agunloye in well starched shirt and trouser, erroneously depicting a man of revolutionary standing. What dubiosity from these craftsmen of pretence and perfidy!

    The pretentiously unravelling Agunloye ignores his conscience when the till is involved. This man should not be entirely judged by his relationship with Soyinka. Agunloye is an opportunist that confirms the saying of Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 – 1969), a general and former US president in a speech at Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania that: ‘The opportunist thinks of me and today. The statesman thinks of us and tomorrow.’ This is what Agunloye and Mimiko are-bloody opportunists pretending to be rescuers of the people when in actual fact they only think of themselves and today. Agunloye that has suddenly become Mimiko’s best friend recently accused the governor of being ‘Market/Town hall builder’;runner of ‘government of abandoned projects’ such as the failed N1.5billion Doom-dome, Owo-Akure road, Ondo-Akure road and so on. It is still on paper that Agunloye described Mimiko’s government as ‘the worst in the history of Ondo State for wasting the people’s money on purchasing of awards all over the place.’ Agunloye should come out and tell Ondo people what has changed in Mimiko or his administration to now make him his best political friend. Of course, treachery plot that will not fly is in the offing. Ondo people, please beware!

    However, the intricate history of Ondo politics has shown that from time to time, the state throws up political prostitutes and election marauders. For a while, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. These two strange bed fellows and cohorts would not prove history wrong come October 20, the date of their waterloo. Do I hear you say an end to their curious romance of treachery!

  • Victor Olaiya: Enjoying yesterday today

    Victor Olaiya: Enjoying yesterday today

    “If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.” William Shakespare, Tweilfth Night

    A part from the avalanche of assorted cars and SUVs parked outside the Lagos City Hall last Sunday, nothing gave an inkling that something interesting was on inside its banquet hall where the best of highlife entertainment was being played. Therein, musical history resurrected. On that day, another chapter in the musical olden times of this country was written. The event was the 60 years stage celebration of Dr. Victor Abimbola Olaiya (OON) and his trumpet.

    My attraction to the event was not only the royal touch given to the event by the Olowo Eko himself, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu, Oba of Lagos or the presence of other interesting dignitaries. My pull for that event was the enervating enactment of musical tunes of yore from the motley of horse’s mouths. Distinguished guests in the hall yelled for more and that quickly brought to my mind Robert Nesta Marley’s (aka Bob Marley) saying:“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” The highly thrilled audience of mostly eminent Nigerians received doses of musical punches from highlife, Afro beat and juju musicians of yore without feeling any pain.

    Music is indeed the tonic needed to sustain life. It has no boundary. Music gives inspiration to the creative minds. Respected intellectuals and accomplished professionals have indeed confessed to the lifting spirit of music. Even the ordinary man on the streets from among whom most musical genius emanated may have no money to feed but would definitely create the time to listen to music – good and soul-lifting ones at that.

    When one is lonely and deserted, the only assured companion is music, blaring from a radio or stereo. Music is the only escape route from the miseries of life. When it looks like life is about to hit a screeching halt, music then becomes the wine that fills the cup of silence. Music heals a broken heart; it proves hope for the rejected and cures the loss, pain and misery of the lonely. Could it be said that without music, then life would be a mistake? No wonder Plato, the great philosopher, observed that ‘Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.’

    When good music blares, even the birds stop to listen. That is the power of music and that was what transpired on the day Lagos stood still to celebrate Victor Olaiya. It was an evening of fun that Yemi Sodimu spiced with his dexterity at compeering. Femi Kuti set the ball of musical action rolling and proved within his allotted time to be a worthy ambassador of the Afro beat music pioneered by Fela, his late father. Dele Ojo, highlife musician of yore mounted the stage and electrified the audience with famous old tracks such as Ilu oyinbo dara, kawe e; Tere na Tere na tere. When it came to the turn of Orlando Julius with her two female dancers, younger elements in the hall realised why highlife was the preference of music lovers in the 1950s, 60s, 70s down to mid 80s. He bolstered the audience with tracks such as eniyan loko esin loro, esin onika ninu rara.

    The King of Juju and music in general, Sunday Adegeye (KSA) came on stage twice. The first time, he treated the audience to his famous track, samba e e e samba and accompanied this with his deft musical steps to the admiration of the audience in the hall. KSA’s second coming on the stage was on the prompting of Pa Fatai Rolling Dollars during his time on stage. Baba Rolling Dollar sang his widely loved track of; won kere si number wa, awon omode wonyi kere si number wa. KSA and Baba Rolling Dollars treated us to scintillating duet that might be difficult to re-enact in a long time. Shina Bakare, son of late highlife legend, Ayinde Bakare, reproduced his father’s act with the track; won ntenu bole kiri, won npegan kiri. Femi Oso, the CEO of Evergreen Musical Company Limited and organiser of the event gave out his turn to Tunde Osofisan who performed creditably with the track; olowogbayawo ole that sent the audience agog and asking for more. The man of the day, Victor Olaiya took the stage at the end of it all and rendered some of the tracks that made him what he is, including ilule o, kosowolode that he first sang in 1962.

    On that day, the powerful, especially wives of governors, broke protocol as they wriggled their bodies, briefly while standing and largely on their seats, to old highlife tunes of the greats; the intellectuals got magnetised by the alluring beats coming out of that modern instruments. The activists nodded to the acrobatic rhythms of highlife wonders on the microphone on the stage on that day. Mrs Abimbola Fashola, wife of Governor Babatunde Fashola surely from her countenance on that day loves highlife music. EreluBisi Fayemi would definitely have won a dancing award with the way she danced especially to the rhythm of Orlando Julius’ music.

    Former governor of Ogun state Akinrogun Segun Osoba and wife, Derinsola were marvellous on the dance floor. Professor Adebayo Williams must have derived lots of inspiration from highlife music from his nod of approval to most of the acts’ performances. Olatunji Abdul-Lateef Bello, the knowledgeable helmsman of Lagos Environmental affairs momentarily forgot about environmental matters as he listened with rapt attention to assorted highlife music. The newest Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana was truly at home with the highlife tunes churned out on that day. There is no doubt that the horde of guests in that hall including actors and actresses really enjoyed themselves. Yours sincerely will henceforth be listening to highlife music, if not at home because of time, but in the car while moving around in Lagos or travelling.

    The day Victor Olaiya was celebrated would be remembered for two things: The first being that the man was shown love and appreciation during his life time and secondly; the need for society to from time to time celebrate those who toiled to bring joy and happiness to millions of homes through music. Once again, that day was one in which all of us present enjoyed yesterday today.

  • Agents of neo-colonialism and historical perfidy-2

    Agents of neo-colonialism and historical perfidy-2

    ‘A State in the grip of neo-colonialism is not master of its own destiny. It is this factor which makes neo-colonialism such a serious threat to world peace.’ ————Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972)

    On May 5, 2007, Zimbabwe issued currency notes with face values of Z$100million and Z$250 million. On May 15, 2007, a new bank note of Z$500million was issued, followed by the issue on May 20, 2007 of currency notes in denominations of Z$5billion, Z$25 billion, and Z$50 billion. Finally, on 21 July 2007, bank notes with a face value of Z$100 billion were issued. Eventually, Zimbabwe abandoned its own currency and legalised the use of only foreign currencies. Peru had a nasty experience with inflation and in 1986, it made its highest denomination to be 1,000 intis. By 1991, this had increased to 5 million intis. Peru in 1981 created the Neuro sol, a unit of which exchanged for one million intis just to combat the high value currency-induced inflation. Is that what Lamido Sanusi and his cohorts are working to achieve for this country?

    In 1989, Poland’s highest denomination was 200,000 zlotych. Due to reckless financial re-engineering, it was increased to 1,000,000 zlotych in 1991 and 2,000,000 zlotych in 1992. By 1994, a new zlotych was exchanged for 10,000 old zlotych. In 1992, the Russian federation witnessed spiral inflationary trend and by 1998, the government erroneously believed that creating new rubble that exchanged for 1,000 old rubbles would solve its problem. Angola’s original currency called kwanza was replaced in 1990 by the novo kwanza. By 1991 and 1994, the highest denomination had increased to 50,000 and 500,000 novo Kwanzaa respectively. Thence by 1995, a unit of the re-decimated kwanza exchanged for 1,000 novo kwanza. The highest currency note denomination in Zaire in 1988 was 5,000 zaires that later rose in 1992 to 5,000,000 zaires. In 1993, a new currency called the new nouveau Zaire, a unit of which exchanged for 3,000,000 zaires was created. Shamefully, its highest denomination increased in 1996 to 1,000,000 new zaires. When the country was renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1997, its currency was changed to francs while a unit of it was exchanged for 100,000 new zaires. Is Lamido Sanusi gradually moving to use the CBN to turn Nigeriainto an economically unattractive DRC?

    Curiously too, the International Monetary Fund issued a widely reported publication in July that suggested the naira was overvalued by as much as 8.5 percent; an opinion also reportedly rejected by Nigeria’s Central Bank. What then could have informed the latest decision on the N5000 note if not to demonstrate its covert intent of addressing the IMF fallacy on the nation’s currency?

    Even if the problematic countries mentioned above are exceptions to the rule because the CBN referred to countries like Germany, Singapore and Japan as ones with higher powerful currency denominations that do not induce inflation. It must quickly be stated that before the advent of euro, it was wrong for the CBN to assert that Germany had higher denomination. It is on record that Germany officially replaced Deutsch Mark with euro in all cash transactions in February 2002. And the fact that the highest euro note is €500 does not make that to be peculiar to Germany alone but to all European countries that cede their national currency to the euro. With all sense of humility, I state that the CBN’s claim that Germany mint high denomination currency notes is incorrect and an attempt to further confuse an already bemused Nigerian public.

    In the case of Singapore, yes it could be said that it has a higher currency denomination in its SGD 10,000. But this is seldom used in financial transactions. If tradition is anything to go by, the coming N5000 note will soon become a status symbol thing that all households must be seen with. Infact, going by the alacrity with which the policy was officially endorsed by notable guzzlers of our collective economic dividends, it is obvious that the note was designed to meet the needs of that elite class and not to satisfy the needs of Nigerians in general. Back to the issue of Singapore, the CBN needs to be informed that that country has a low inflation rate of 2.8% and also maintained a strong currency that exchanged for SDG1.305545 to one US Dollar. Furthermore, Singapore has US$82.48 billion Stock which is 130% over and above that of Nigeria’s US$34.65 billion. What has the CBN under Sanusi Lamido done to improve the exchange rate of a naira to a dollar in the mould of what obtains in Singapore?

    Additionally, the cited countries (Germany, Singapore and Japan), run clearly acknowledged economy with translucent commercial ambience; prices of goods are stable, and the per-capita GDP are comparable to what obtains in few high-brow countries of the world and with low tax rates. The CBN cited countries boost of well centrally coordinated and efficient free market economy. Above all, exports in them are high. What has Lamido done to increase genuine exports through banks before coming up with this N5000 currency denomination?

    The CBN should note that there is no basis for comparing such countries with large export-oriented economies with that of Nigeria. Moreover, it could be wiser for those countries for strategic economic reasons to deliberately undervalue their currencies against the US Dollar so as to make their exports cheaper in the US and other big markets of the world. So, if they print large currency denominations for ease of financial transaction, no one can begrudge them. Apart from government contract barons, governors collecting monthly allocations, legislators sharing money in Ghana-Must-Go bags and fake oil marketers using fake Letters of Credit from banks that are not properly supervised to fleece the nation, the CBN should come out and tell Nigerians why it has become so important for it to print this higher N5000 denomination.

    The 5,000 currency note will be the fifth time in 13 years that CBN will be printing new costly currency denominations under different guises with no impacting effect in the end. This, sadly, is happening in a nation where majority live on less than $2 a day. Lamido Sanusi is not governor of CBN to serve the interest of Okonjo-Iweala and other bourgeois pretenders milking this nation dry. The low value of the naira or inflation rate will not improve because the country has N5000 denomination; neither will it change the proclivity of economic marauders in big companies nor those in high public places from preferring the dollar to the naira.

    Since Lamido Sanusi came out boldly to defend the removal of fuel subsidy in January this year, I have treated whatever he defends vociferously with contempt. His intellect is solely for the protection of the establishment, otherwise, he should have responded to the financial oddities and frauds uncovered in the fuel subsidy management probe. What has he to say to the $10 billion that the nation is losing to oil theft through subsidy removal that he stoutly defended? Will he still come out to say that there still exists subsidy today? The question is: why defend a policy that will serve the interest of a clique against that of the entire nation? The same thing is what he is doing now regarding the N5000 currency note. Most of the frauds committed against the Nigerian state are done through the banks that he has failed to properly supervise and sanitise. This Lamido Sanusi is a plant in CBN by other neo-colonial agents living within and outside the country. Those parasitic agents refuse to learn from history and this could lead, in the end, to unleashing of the tragedy of history on the nation.