A
Nigerian public affairs commentator and columnist has written an
interesting and thought-provoking article to Nigerians. It's a must
read!
President Muhammadu Buhari
Overtime, the Nigeria political and elitist communities have found
fulfillment in squandering the limited resources, some to their private
purses while most who claim to be “saints” splash the resources on
issues of banalities yet come out to their ever-believing Nigeria people
through the media to educate them on recession, put up some leadership
campaigns (#ChangeBeginsWithMe), set up a committee of their
friends-in-government to discuss circuitous issues that would keep the
masses at their mercy, they come in the guise of the discrepancies in
the constitution as I have said earlier on this medium that the Nigeria
criminal is a studious criminal who studies the constitution very well
for its defects, non-provisional effects and discrepancies before
committing crimes.
I have been passive on social justice for a while now due to the
fact that we live in an ever-believing, non-litigious society where
inhabitants are fatiloquent, they speak of fate at the slightest
injustice.
God has allowed the fuel price to rise!
It was God’s plan that you will not be admitted into the university this year.
To someone who was sacked unjustly days before her wedding - God
knows why it happened like that, it is for you not to be arrogant to
your husband!
To that police officer who has been promoted but has not been paid
his arrears for a year- God has plans for you, He wants you to spend the
money very well during your retirement.
To those who could not buy foodstuff any longer due to the hike in
price- God knows best! If you eat too much, you can contract diabetes.
If you venture into business and you become rich, you would
contract the sickness of the rich - cancer. Some religious leaders who
are leading a blind congregation when they themselves are blind would
mount the pulpit with all egoistic attributes to pray that, should the
fuel pump price rise to N1000 per litre, the member would be able to
buy. At the call of the prayer, one would see all forms of acrobatic
displays like a gymnast under the influence of steroids. What a gross
benightedness! These energies should be channeled to revolt against the
ruling class that suck with reckless abandon the milk and honey that
should flow on the land. It is not just the problem of leadership, the
bane lies with the followership.
This is a country where the chairman of an Okada Association owns
and drives jeeps and the members keep paying "dues" to him. Those who in
their “modesty and modalities” operate thrift/credit societies are
usurious in a manner. Nigerians would be vassals to their fellow
countrymen and suffer for a long time until social revolution breaks
out.
I stumbled on the special interview Col. Abubakar Umar, the former
Kaduna State Military governor. granted TELL on the 1st Jan. 1996. Until
yesterday, I never knew a man like him exist(ed). This is a man whose
activism is top- notch despite his military and elitist acquaintances.
He prophesied all the happenings today, from deregulation to
diversification of the petrodollar economy and so on. On the “midget”
corruption then; he said this:
“But I understand they also know that there is a lot of talk about
money being spent on areas that produce nothing. I think it is highly
exaggerated. If you are looking for this money you better look at the
accounts of the elite. Most of this money, I believe, is stashed
outside. Not too much of this money has been spent on provisions of
amenities in this country. So, when Shell is telling people that if we
abandon (the LNG project), the common people are going to be affected,
you find that it is largely the elite that will be affected. The common
people are having a very raw deal. There is nothing as bad as you
knowing that you are producing wealth and not seeing the evidence of
that wealth.”
The news account of a Nigerian journalist I read sometime reinforce
the truism that, “what goes around comes around”. The Nigerian
journalist had migrated to the United States with his family through the
Visa Lottery programme and had the privity of being at University
College Hospital, Los Angeles (UCHLA) where Mariam Babangida had been
admitted at the height of her health predicament.The journalist had
revealed how Babangida had been prevented from entering the United
States because of his annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections but had
to be granted visa on compassionate grounds at the height of his wife’s
health issues. He further revealed how disrespectfully the nurses and
paramedics had treated Babangida, unaware of his presidential status.
The journalist decided to intervene when it appeared the
disrespectfulness and cold-treatment to Babangida was not going to stop.
It was at that point that Babangida realized that the man sitting
across from him at the reception of the Hospital building was a
Nigerian. Babangida later came to sit next to him and thanked him. The
journalist told him that he (Babangida) was part of the reasons he had
migrated to the USA and that while as the Military Head of State, if he
had revolutionized the Nigerian Health Sector, the best of Nigerian
doctors would have been treating his ailing wife with all treatment
befitting of a president. He said at that point Babangida became
remorseful and apologized for all of his failings. Today, the same
Babangida has been battling health issues.
What a people!
Nigeria is a very strong country, you don’t try the kind of
money-laundering that goes on here in economies like Ghana’s and
Kenya’s. These countries would run into unrepairable and insurmountable
crises. We should not forget that at this moment, Buhari, the
anti-corruption crusader, has just played on our intelligence with the
change mantra. I just hope that by 2019 he does not say he failed to
perform because Nigerians refused to change. It would be a battle of
words between me and the old man. I and other well-meaning Nigerians
worked assiduously with no incentivization; talking to people about
Buhari on the premise of his integrity we read in history books. So, did
we work for all these we are getting today?
Jonathan, we all understand was a president of circumstance. He
came in when Nigerians needed just a president. His cluelessness might
be pardoned and excused.
What do we then say of the man Buhari, who had longed for the Aso
Villa seat for 12 years before the victory of 2015? Do we say he wasn’t
prepared enough? Does that mean that for 12 years of his political
struggle, he had no economic plans for Nigeria and Nigerians? I write
with all gloominess of heart that this man has hijacked the Aso Villa on
a revenge mission and has surrounded himself with his kinsmen as his
soldiers; an undertone of nepotism but it is “defected” under sections
47 and 147 of the 1999 constitution: the Nigerian problem, legal reforms
– the way out.
On assumption to the throne, he went after Dasuki but recently we
heard of Dasuki’s re-appearing image in his cabinet – Abba Kyari, the
chief of staff who is the dramatis personae on which the MTN fine
scandal is centered. I have summoned all the watch-men in my area to
come out with torches fully lit as we search for the change even in
broad day light. It is unfortunate we live in a world full of deceit,
who do we trust?
“Until a lecture theatre is built in Unilag or any other school and
the name of the looter is printed on it like this – THIS LECTURE
THEATRE WAS BUILT FROM THE LOOTS RECOVERED FROM ABACHA AND HEREBY
COMMISSIONED FOR THE USE OF HUMANITY TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE SHAME
OF THE FAMILY, I will never take the anti-corruption war serious,” a
student activist protested.
I have decided to be mute on the sale of national assets because it
did not start today. Privatization started as far back as 1988.
Education as a national asset has been sold long ago, unity schools have
been commercialized. We only centre our focus on the JV of NLNG and
NNPC under discourse but I tell you the negotiation and the sale have
been concluded long ago. You don’t fight many enemies, many have
advised, told them all that my rustication and the political
victimization students and youth activists are facing is/was as a result
of cycle/myriad of problems. For the purpose of record, I will say
myrustication was as a result of victimization which came from an
undemocratic body who could not tolerate students protesting, the
protest was as a result of poor welfare conditions on campus, the poor
welfarism came as a result of bad management and underfunding.
Underfunding happens to be a product of austerity measures. Austerity
measures were orchestrated by the mismanagement of the ruling class; it
is therefore a cycle. There is this saying in Yoruba; “You do not leave a
mad man with the corpse of his mother, he could eat it.” We would not
leave this Buhari–led administration with the economy, we would keep the
said “technocrats” (or Samsungcrats) on their toes till we get a revamp
of this situation.
This is a solidarity call to all students and youths to unite and
become formidable against the forces that be. We have the solutions with
us. The country started folding up when the youths slept off. Not only
did we sleep, but we also snored orchestratingly.
We must stand up to keep asking why and how our fathers have
brought us here. Things must cease to continue like this, or else the
national anthem will be remixed and the labor of our heroes past will be
in vain very shortly.
About the Author:
Femi Adeyeye is a public affairs and political analyst and columnist for SaharaReporters.
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