President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday afternoon left Abuja for a brief private visit to the United Kingdom.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said that the President was accompanied on the trip by some of his principal staff and personal aides.
Jonathan is expected back in Abuja on Monday ahead of official engagements at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday including scheduled audiences with groups from Delta and Lagos States.
All is not well with the reelection campaign plan of President Goodluck Jonathan in the north.
A good number of prominent northern politicians and public officers are turning down offers to play leading roles in his campaign ahead of the February 2015 election.
The development, The Nation learnt, is stalling the composition of the president’s campaign teams in that part of the country.
His campaign in the north has also not been able to match that of General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north in terms of poster and bill boards’ display.
A party source admitted that Jonathan’s re-election bid is on the low in the north because of lack of action and information of the candidate.
The source, a chieftain of the party in Lagos State, said that many politicians from the north are cautious of being identified with Jonathan.
He said: “There are a lot of issues surrounding his candidacy as it affects northern interests and desire. This is keeping his associates and friends here in check,” a Kaduna-born former minister told The Nation.
We also learnt that effort by the Ahmadu Ali-led Presidential Campaign team of the PDP to draft PDP chiefs into its zonal and state chapters in the north, especially in the Northwest and Northeast, has not succeeded largely because of the uncooperative attitude of many of those earlier tipped for the assignment.
“Even ministers, party leaders and other public figures are tactically dodging the president’s campaign assignments in the north. At a meeting of chieftains convened by the presidential campaign team to discuss the composition of state and zonal structures, some northern politicians present betrayed their fears when they moved that fresh faces be appointed as coordinators while they support the campaign from less visible positions.
“This came as a shock to many of those present at the meeting and was roundly rejected by all. But it was a confirmation of the situation in that region. It needs to be dealt with and I am sure the party is taking necessary steps to tackle the unimpressive body language of many of our prominent chieftains in the north towards President Jonathan’s campaign.”
Other party sources said the situation is responsible for the delay in constituting the state and zonal chapters of the campaign team.
According to an official of the party in the Southwest, contrary to the scramble for the president’s campaign jobs in the south, northern chieftains are not too keen about being named as members of Jonathan’s campaign teams in their various states and zones.
“I learnt that a former minister in Nasarawa State rejected his appointment as the head of the campaign in his state. In Kano State, two former commissioners were said to have dodged being named as part of Jonathan’s campaign. The party is working round the clock to address the development though,” the source said.
A number of reasons have been adduced for the rejection of the re-election campaign jobs in the north.
One is what a source described as the prevalent mood of the people of the region occasioned by emergence of General Buhari. Another is the fear of being labelled as anti-north.
The voice of Buhari’s massive supporters in the north is drowning that of Jonathan in the zone.
“The feeling here is that Buhari and the APC represent the best opportunity for power to return to the region and as such all northerners should line up behind the General and his party. Even in states where PDP is in power, the party’s chieftains are cautious about preaching Jonathan’s reelection so as not to offend the sensibilities of their people,” another source said.
“And with leading northern socio-political groups like the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) unambiguous in their choice of a northerner as president, many northerners are scared of being seen campaigning for Jonathan in 2015,” Mallam Abu Halidu Ahmed, Coordinator of the Voters’ Right Agenda (VoRA) in Kano State, said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had on Thursday, December 11, inaugurated its National Campaign Council, NCC, for the 2015 general election. Alhaji Adamu Muazu, PDP’s National Chairman, is to chair the campaign while the former Chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, is to serve as the Director-General of the council.
Other members include President Goodluck Jonathan; Vice President Namadi Sambo; Senate President David Mark; Chief Tony Anenih, Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees; Prince Uche Secondus, Deputy National Chairman.
The rest are former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, who is the Deputy Director-General, head office; Honourable Kabiru Turaki, Deputy Director General North; Mr. Peter Obi, Deputy Director-General, South; Chief Godswill Akpabio, Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum; Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and Retired Brigadier General James Arogbofa, Chief of Staff to the President.
The zonal coordinators are Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, South- South; Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State, South-East; Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, South-West; Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, North-Central; Governor Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State, North-East; and Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, North-West.
Past chairmen of the party were not left out as Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo and Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed were named as members of the council. Also in the council are Chief Olabode George and Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, SA Political Affairs to the president.
The party had promised to release the campaign itinerary as well as members of the state and zonal campaign teams in no time. But it appears the unwillingness of some PDP chieftains in the north has slowed down the process.
Efforts to get the reaction of the PDP to the story proved abortive as calls made to the phones of the party’s spokesperson, Olisa Metuh and the national secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, went unanswered.
Revered Kaduna Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmad Mahmud Gumi has called on Nigerians to avoid any form of violence in the forth coming general elections particularly the presidential election.
He said both President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari of the APC are not worth dying for.
He also called on well meaning Nigerians and electorates not to allow politics to suppress their conscience.
Shiehk Gumi made the call in a press statement he personally signed circulated to the press in Kaduna was in reaction to reports where he claimed not to have been quoted correctly.
“For the records, I am not a politician and I don’t have sympathy for any of the political parties. My commitment for those that are fair and following what I do is always to ensure that the rule of law prevails in the conduct of all politicians and for the major stakeholders to avoid overheating our already saturated polity.
“If some of my comments, which some considered nasty and against their political interest and pursuit, will ultimately alert our largely unenlightened youths and subsequently prevent the looming bloodshed I foresaw, then the abuses and allegations of compromise against my person will be my own sacrifice to this nation.
“It does not matter the malicious opinion of anybody against whosoever did anything for the sake of Allah because He knows the secrets of our hearts and He is the ultimate judge. I am always very conscious of everything I write and I will always accept responsibility no matter who feels offended.
“As an Islamic scholar the supporters of Jonathan or Buhari should not expect me to embark on campaign or to compel people to vote a candidate they don’t want. My responsibility is to guide and alert the nation based on what I know and my conviction, while the people have the final say. In the process, like all mortals, I can be wrong. What is important in Islam is to act strictly for the sake of Allah.” He said.
Reacting to the report where he claimed to have been misquoted, Gumi said, “I have not said, as reported during the groups visit to me, that General Buhari is also corrupt as purported and erroneously disseminated. In any case, it is not my duty to determine whether anybody is corrupt or not or to even pass a damning verdict on him.
“May I state, however, that the content of my recent posting as clear as it is was publicized by some media outfits to deliberately mislead the public about my position, many viewed it as against Buhari or an indirect endorsement for Jonathan.
“The records too are very clear. There is no Nigerian leader I persistently criticize and censor like Jonathan because of the deficiency in his leadership to address many serious national issues today, in some part of the country .
“Criticizing Buhari will inevitably be seen as an act of blasphemy in the eyes of his supporters. They see anyone that speaks against what they believe in as a Jonathan man. This pathetic situation has to be reversed because the moment someone presents himself for leadership he is liable to criticism and answerable to people before God.
“The fact that there is religion in politics and politics in religion is the reason why I believe it is a duty for me to be consistent in addressing issues of public interest and to ensure that no human blood drops for the sake of anybody’s ambition, including the ambition of Jonathan and Buhari.
“My comments on avoiding violence during the election is not only limited to the supporters of Buhari as mischievously being insinuated but extended to the supporters of Jonathan as well.
“In fact that is why before the two parties held their presidential conventions I repeatedly urged the parties to do away with the candidatures of Jonathan and Buhari because of the potential danger of doing so. But now that they didn’t listen and produced the duo, it is obvious that only one of them will eventually become president in 2015.
“At this point I must say, therefore, that we must prepare our minds and accept the outcome of the election as much as it is conducted under reasonable fairness. This is better than the risk of losing one human life because of the ambition of Jonathan or Buhari. If lives are worth sacrificing why is it that the children of our politicians did not participate in the post- election violence of 2011! At this note I will call on INEC and the Security agencies to conduct themselves appropriately without partiality to diffuse post -election tension and Violence.
“I also call on the public to be patient no matter the level of provocation and injustice because at the end of it all and due to our collective prayers Allah (SWT) will provide the way out for Nigeria.
“I am compelled to give this additional comment because I know that there are many reasonable people that misunderstood my position because of the manner my comments are being reported. May Allah protect us all and guide us aright. Amin” he prayed.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, scored the President Goodluck Jonathan administration very low and urged Nigerians to vote it out in the next general elections.
Fashola stated that change of leadership is expedient at the national level because Nigeria is too important both globally and continentally to be left in the hands of those who “play politics with the lives of her citizens.”
Addressing members of the Yoruba Tennis Club and their Island Club counterparts at their respective Club Houses in Onikan, Lagos on Wednesday, Governor Fashola said the national government, formed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has failed to provide its most important responsibility, which according to him, is the security of life and property of citizens and protection of the territorial integrity of the nation.
The Governor, who noted that Nigerians handed over a whole country to the ruling party in 2011, expressed regrets that the same party is now returning to Nigerians to ask for another leadership mandate with only part of the country, having lost some parts to insurgents.
“They are returning now to ask for our votes with only a part of the country that we gave them because some parts of the country have been lost to people we didn’t elect. So, in that most important responsibility, they have dropped the ball.”
Governor Fashola, who expressed dismay that the PDP has politicized everything, noted that nothing is too much for the party to sloganize about.
He accused the federal government of playing politics with the very sensitive issue of the more than 200 abducted secondary school girls in Chibok in Borno State.
The Governor also said that the PDP-controlled Federal Government has also orchestrated about how it made the country “the biggest economy in Africa”, wondering why smaller economies could provide electricity for their people while the self acclaimed “biggest economy” could keep her people in darkness.
“Please ask them why smaller economies could get petrol easily for their people and why we have to queue for hours and days to get petrol in a biggest economy in Africa,” the Governor said.
He also wondered why the so-called biggest economy in Africa is trying to buy arms from a smaller economy to secure the country.
He pointed out that the nation’s currency, the Naira, is now trading for N180 per Dollar while the South African Rand is trading at R11 to one United States Dollar.
According to Fashola, what matters is the quality of the life and prosperity of the citizens and not the size or number being bandied by the PDP-led government.
Governor Fashola tasked the people to figure out the last time the President went to present the Annual Budget in the National Assembly, an obligation which, according to him, is a constitutional one.
The Governor also said that the Federal Government also played politics with the Ebola Virus Disease containment as it almost turned the very grave situation into a political trophy.
Conversely, Governor Fashola said, the All Progressives Congress controlled Lagos State Government has done well at many fronts including the Education, Security, Power and the financial sector in spite of the very precarious economic and security situation in the country.
President Goodluuck Jonathan has noted that Nigeria is not the personal estate of anybody but for the generality of Nigerians.
Although he did not mention the names of the politicians who see Nigeria as their personal estate, he noted that they make provocative statements that create division among Nigerians and could set the country ablaze.
He spoke on Thursday during the Christmas service at the St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, Abuja.
According to him, only the will of God will prevail on the forthcoming general elections.
On the threat to form a parallel government in 2015, he said that those behind the threat and himself cannot say they will win the election as Nigerians will decide who will govern them at all the levels.
He said: “It is a week to the end of the year, next year, from January, we will see all political actors campaigning and from the middle of February to the end, we will have the elections at the various levels.”
“I believe we the politicians from our utterances, I am very sure that those of you who meant well for this country will never be happy with us.”
“As a politician, you want people to elect you, to perform a responsibility. If you mean well for the country, the country is nobody’s personal estate but you want to serve. If people want you to serve, you serve, if they say no, you leave,”
“Nigeria is nobody’s personal estate, Nigeria is nobody’s business enterprise, Nigeria is nobody’s father’s, property, it belongs to all Nigerians.”
He went on: “I get embarrassed when we the politicians, maybe including me make provocative statements, statements that create division among Nigerians, statements that can set this country ablaze. I don’t think that is what a leader should do, I don’t think that is the kind of seed a leader should sow.
“Those who take government by violence, look at African countries, those who kill to take power, they never end well, few cases, yes, probably in society not everybody goes the same way but on the average one has recently happened in West Africa.
“If a politician wants to take power whether at the house of assembly level, at the House of Representatives or senate or governor or president, you don’t sow seed of discord and enmity because of course, it will consume you.
“As a nation, we know that if anybody who has the privilege of being a governor of a state after serving, he becomes a senior citizen of that state, it is your duty to assist in-coming government.
“If you happen to serve as the head of government or as a president of this country, infact at the national level, we have the highest authority called the council of state, the permanent members of the council of state are past presidents and past Chief Justice of the country. The idea is that they have vast experience in a number of things and they can bring their experiences to bear in terms of advising any president at anytime, that was why that body was created by the constitution.
“But if we abuse ourselves, kill ourselves to be in office, then who will finish serving and still want to attend the council of state meeting for somebody who probably abuse you through life, it is not possible.”
He urged all politicians seeking various offices to just talk about what they can do for Nigerians and not to sow the seed of discord.
On the threat to form a parallel government, he said: “For a politician to stand up, who is even a Christian to say that if he fails election, he will form a parallel government. What makes him feel that he must win the election, even me as a serving president, what makes me feel I must win the election, no matter what I think I am. Nigerians will decide who will govern them at the state level, or federal level, state assemblies or the National Assembly in terms of the federal constituencies and the senatorial districts.”
“It is not you who is looking for the office to think that you are the best person to be there. Are you the most qualified person even by certificate? Are you telling me your certificate is larger than that of others or you even have more certificate ? It is the chance of the people and the will of God.”
He called on the Christian community to continue to pray for God to forgive politcians their sins as the only way to move the nation forward.
“God should give us the wisdom to do what is right. All of us who by divine and the will of God are still holding sensitive offices, God should give us the wisdom and the courage to do what is right for our people.” he stated
Stressing that Christmas is a special day for, he said: “I urged all of us who are Christians to imbibe the value of love and peace that Christ epitomized. The value of tolerance, fairness, selflessness and for us to live in peace.
On security challenge, he said; “As a nation, we have our challenges, everyday we hear what is happening to some parts of the country, including Abuja, bombing by terrorists and extremists. These are temporary things, surely God will see us through. It will surely come to an end the way it started.”
“All what I request from you is to continue to pray for the country as you have been praying. Pray for the victims of terror, we have widows, widowers and orphans, some children are just few days old and their parents killed, so what is their fate, their communities shattered, people have to run to different places but that is the handiwork of the devil. As a nation we will pull through.”
He thanked religious leaders and all Christians who constantly pray for the country, the first family and the government.
Jonathan said: “The challenges of the moment but for your prayers, probably something else would have happened. God bless this country, even with the challenges, one would have expected the economy to collapse completely and of course if that happens, people working with government and some of the people with private sector would not have been receiving salaries or anything. God is with us and inspite of what is happening, we are forging ahead and we will pull through.”
He said that his administration will continue to do more in the coming years.
Delivering the sermon titled “The Jewish Messianic Expectations and 2015 Elections”, the Primate of the Anglican Church, the Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh urged politicians to work towards the peace and progress of the country.
Noting that the 2015 election would be a critical period in the life of the nation, he said Nigerians expect peace, freedom, security and general prosperity of the country.
He therefore urged all politicians to ensure that the expectations of the people are met as they seek elective positions in the 2015 elections.
The clergy also urged Nigerians not to play politics with the security situation in the country but to continue to pray for the country to overcome the problem.
The President was accompanied to the Church Service by the First Lady, Dame Patience; his mother, Madam Eunice, Cabinet Ministers and other top government officials.
At the end of the service, Christians and muslims in the FCT were led by the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed on homage to the President at the Presidential Villa.
The President was presented with giant Christmas cards by the FCT Minister and Vice President Namadi Sambo.
ONE of the support groups formed to propagate the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, House-to-House Educational Initiative, has decided to throw its weight behind the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
Its National Coordinator, Mr. Kunle Ehinlanwo, said at a news conference in Abuja that its members have not found any reason to join the campaign for Jonathan’s re-election.
Ehinlanwo explained that this was the time for collective action to change the fortunes of the country for good.
His words: “House-to-House Educational Initiative was formed to promote good governance and pro-poor policies through national dialogue and intervention on issues of national development and till date, we have done quite extensive work in this regard.
“In achieving our set goal, we use sensitisation and awareness as drivers of development. In recent times, however, we are beaming the searchlight on political development, to see how we can work with the Nigerian people and other partners to build the nation’s democracy and its processes.
“Our initial idea was to support the re-election of President Jonathan, believing that continuity will better secure our democracy, considering the stage we are in the democratic ladder.
“But after a deeper review and careful analysis of the situation in the country, we are not convinced with the performance of the administration.
“We have consequently decided to throw our support in favour of Gen. Buhari, who, we are convinced, is a better man for the challenging job.
“The House-to-House Educational Initiative will henceforth campaign vigorously to canvass massive votes for the election of Gen. Buhari and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, ahead of the next general election in the 36 states, the FCT and the 774 Local government areas in 2015.
“For the record, our organisation is engineered and powered by concerned citizens and patriotic volunteers throughout Nigeria to achieve this common objective.”
He added that the group had decided to do its honest bit in the quest for change.
Ehinlanwo maintained that the group was not oblivious to the challenge posed by the incumbency factor in Nigerian politics, “but we are convinced that the APC will triumph at the end of the day, because the Nigerian people can see beyond the antics of the rudderless President Jonathan’s administration, particularly the desperate quest for power as we can see from their actions and activities in recent times.”
According to him, “Nigerians are earnestly yearning for change and it is becoming very clear that no amount of intimidation or corruption of the electoral process will change the tide.
“The voices of the people will be heard, loud and clear, via their massive votes at the election.
“These are our convictions and in the days and weeks ahead, you will all see our actions and activities on all we have stated above and we have no doubt that Nigerians will appreciate our patriotic intervention as we collectively push for a new order where our people can live a better life.
“This can only be possible when the national leadership is right and this is why we have decided to endorse the candidature of Gen. Buhari and his running mate, whose integrity and leadership records are too convincing to elicit our support. It is the logical way to go and it is in our collective best interest.”
The group’s Southwest Coordinator, Prince Olowofoyekun Temitope, said the group has begun a massive grassroots mobilisation of residents in the region to throw their weight behind Gen. Buhari.
President Goodluck Jonathan has promised that his administration would continue to encourage and support the development of mutually-beneficial trade and economic relations between Nigeria and other developing nations.
Jonathan, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, gave the assurance at separate audiences with the new ambassadors of Cuba and Zimbabwe at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
In keeping with its commitment to privatisation, trade liberalisation and diversification of the economy, he said the Federal Government would welcome greater economic ties with Cuba, Zimbabwe and other emerging economies.
He said: “Nigeria is a very vast economy. We are not just about oil. We have a very vibrant business community that has a global presence in both the service and non-service sectors.
“We will encourage these businesses to expand their interests into your economies,’’ the president told Ambassador Carlos Eleterio Trejo Sosa of Cuba and Ambassador Lovemore Mazemo of Zimbabwe, who came to present their letters of credence to him.
Jonathan also hailed the cordial bilateral relations between Nigeria and Ethiopia, which, he said, has encouraged leading Nigerian companies to establish branches in the Horn of Africa nation.
Speaking at an audience with the outgoing Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ali Abdo Suleiman, the president noted that economic ties between both countries have improved significantly in the last three years.
He also observed that the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between both countries has resulted in regular flights from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, to four major cities in Nigeria – Abuja, Lagos, Enugu and Kano.
Ambassador Suleiman, who served in Abuja for three years, told the president he was leaving with very happy memories of Nigeria.
He thanked Jonathan for the support and cooperation he received from the Federal Government, which, he said, helped to facilitate the expansion of trade and economic relations between Nigeria and Ethiopia.
The lawmaker representing Abia South on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Enyi Abaribe, has said he never wanted to return to the Senate, but for President Goodluck Jonathan, who urged him to return to strengthen the legislature.
He said he had made up his mind to run for the governor, as returning to the Senate would not give him the opportunity to serve the state, which was a larger constituency than the
Addressing PDP stakeholders from Abia South in his country home at Ohuru in Obingwa Local Government, Abaribe said he had bought the nomination and expression of interest forms for the governorship election.
He said it was after buying the forms that the President’s directive came, which made him to change his mind, adding that of the
54 senators billed to return to the Senate, only 12, including himself, picked the tickets.
The Senate spokesman said he obeyed Jonathan because he was loyal.
•New national health law guarantees victims of auto crashes and violent crimes prompt medical attention
The heartening news could not have been more opportune than now –when patients with medical emergencies, in road crashes or victims of armed robberies, in dire need of medical attention, are callously rejected by public and private health institutions, on the basis of a so-called Police report.
The signal of hope, regarding their care, is the National Health Act which President Goodluck Jonathan just signed.
One of the new law’s finest implications is its worthy acknowledgement of human life as something to be accorded utmost care and attention.
The law provides that there will be no excuse for failure of health services for Nigerians. It also stipulates severe punishment and imprisonment terms for removal of human organs and also the reproductive and therapeutic cloning of human kind.
Dr. Muhammed Lecky, Executive Secretary, Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC), a watchdog group on the national health system, declared: “Now that we have the Healthcare Act, we expect that health services for Nigerians would be transformed’’; — and we add: especially under an administration in which healthcare is witnessing incredible retrogression.
We hail the coming into being of the law but regret that it is belated; coming over 54 years after Nigeria’s sovereign existence as a nation.
We bemoan a situation where successive administrations in the land took the lives of accident/emergency patients with levity under various guises. The most common and reprehensible guise is the insistence that Police report must be produced before accident victims or anyone with gunshot wounds could be treated.
The genesis of this trend, peculiar only to Nigeria, emanated from the up surge in armed robbery and violent crimes. If the intent of the authorities was to deny criminals medical attention, therefore prompting medical personnel to avoid subsequent query from the police authorities, they are completely off the mark in global medical best practices.
The truth is that even armed robbers, wounded during criminal operations, have right to good medical treatment, prior to their eventual arraignment, trial and conviction, if found guilty.
Sadly, this country lost precious lives to this rather shoddy, if not outright callous, approach to medical emergencies, in these particular cases. Who knows? Perhaps the late Dimgba Igwe, top media figure and former deputy editor-in-chief of The Sun newspaper, and a victim of a hit-and-run driver, would have been alive today, had he received prompt and prompter first aid treatment.
But alas! He lost his life to the slapdash response the new law just outlawed.
That makes the Act a right step in the right direction. But we hope it will fulfil the expectations of ensuring a truly universal health coverage that would assure and guarantee Nigerians’ fundamental human rights to life and good healthcare.
Under this law, it is good to note that children below the age of five, pregnant women, the elderly and people with disabilities would receive free health care.
The Federal Government is also statutorily expected to provide sufficient complimentary funding, in tandem with states and Local Government Councils across the country, so as to guarantee basic minimum healthcare for all.
If what is currently lacking in terms of proper health focus and needless bureaucratic bottlenecks are guided against, there is no doubt that this Act has created a legal framework for a new healthcare policy regime; and could only be supported by appropriate policy guidance and mechanisms that are different from the inhuman official attitude of the past.
The new health law has to do with sanctity of human life; and we are hopeful that henceforth, there will be undeniable compelling national acceptance of accident and emergency cases by health institutions whether public or private.
This should, however, be complemented with adequate publicity and awareness campaigns, to make the public know, understand and buy into the programme. If well implemented, the fruits of a sound health sector reform may well be on the way.
A columnist with The Nation hit on the coinage, Okupe-istic cant, describing presidential public affairs spokesperson, Dr. Doyin Okupe, and his great deeds. Had that columnist tarried awhile, he would even have been gifted with a bigger catch: Okupe-istic apostasy!
That is the latest from the stable of the stout and doughty Dr. Okupe who, somewhat reminds you, not of the graceful foot works or even the defence rope-a-dope of Muhammad Ali (The Greatest), but the brawl-and-let’s-brawl boxing philosophy of Smoking Joe Frazier (of blessed memory).
Hear The Greatest, pay a pre-fight tribute, to his gamesome opponent: “It would be a thriller, when I square up with the gorrilla, in Manilla.” That match-up, which ended in a 14th round TKO victory for Ali, was more than a thriller. It was the closest to death, Ali conceded of the victory over the man that handed him his first professional defeat!
So, when Okupe does his chores, in the defence of his principal, President Goodluck Jonathan, he takes no prisoners. He could be blown out, as a typhoon blows out everything in its way, as George Foreman twice blew out Frazier; or be savagely competitive, in a loss or win, as Frazier fared with Ali in their three fights. But never is Okupe, a bit thickset not unlike Frazier, known to be a quitter. No matter the punishment, he always bobs up for more — in the defence of his principal!
Even then, Okupe’s latest misadventure, of comparing his embattled principal to Jesus Christ, has earned the gamesome presidential spokesman perhaps the greatest shellacking of his presidential spin career. Hardly any section has not heavily descended on Okupe on his rather impolitic, not to talk of careless, reckless and religiously irreverent comparison.
Yet, what Okupe meant to say was that his boss was longsuffering and patient, a line which an angry editorial of The Nation even took to the cleaners. Jonathan, it contended, was not elected because he was the meekest or the gentlest. He was elected to do a job, for which he zealously presented himself — and he may as well get on with that job! Phew, what comeuppance!
But the Okupe unfortunate allusion somewhat reminds Hardball of another literary parallel, in Wole Soyinka’s play, The Strong Breed, in which the tragic hero, is a traditional Jesus of a kind, bearing the burden of his community, after a yearly ritual. To the community, his sacrifice is a boon, on which consummation of the life and wellness of the community depended. But for the poor human mule, it was sheer pain!
Okupe, by his choice of metaphor, and the flak he got, gives the impression of the strong breed, put to an impossible chore. Were Jonathan a popular and winsome figure, the reckless Okupe-istic (that coinage again!) metaphor would still have been condemnable, because of its insensitivity to the Christian faith. Still, perhaps not a few would have rationalised, excused and generally spoken out in veiled defence of the mistake.
But for Jonathan, with his eternal bumbling, whom earlier Okupe had nevertheless blabbed was the best president Nigeria had ever had? Doyin Okupe certainly had it coming!
Perhaps the doyen of reckless comparisons and irrational allusions will now learn to keep his peace — if he has nothing worthwhile to say. That sure would be better than earning Okupe-istic scorn!