16 Jun 2005 |
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| The past couple of days have been hectic and one dare say traumatic to most Nigerians. It wasn’t about contact scams in the upper legislative house; nor was it El Rufia and his hordes of demolition hungry colleagues at the FCDA. This time around, Nigerian got more than they bargained for. It all started like a little girl’s gossiping; then before any one could say John Kennedy, the rumors, yes that was what it was, had spread little a Californian style fire, wild and out of control. The rumor concerning the death of Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, came not with some thought of regrets. Footage of the president jumping airplanes from Washington to Tokyo, going through Sao Tome and Principe, Heathrow, Schipol and Manila, had shown him looking tired and exhausted, but still stubbornly forging ahead. It is really difficult to imagine how someone with an Aegean stable as stupendous as Nigeria to sort out, could still have enough energy and enthusiasm to perambulate the globe as this president does. We have always feared the worst. But that will be another discussion for another clime. Nobody really wants OBJ to die, not with the attendant chaos that will ensure. But what is the value of this presidency to the average Nigerian, whose believe and confidence in the Nigerian enterprise has continuously been eroded by the false attitudes of the buccaneers in the corridors of power. Baba, in dispelling the rumors about his death, talked about Nigerians’ heart pouring and concern for him et al, and ended with his usual refrain of ‘I dey kampe.’ It is quite instructive to note that our so called elite, whose greed and selfishness has subjected us to this state of abject want, with infrastructure at the lowest state ever, still believe our humility and meekness is there for the taking at any time it so pleases them. This is evidently different from the sycophantic wailing of political jobbers and men of dishonor who have consistently desecrated our collective psyche, oiling their greed with questionable government appointments and spurious contract executions with due process, all on the altar of service to their fatherland. Will the average Nigerian grief for OBJ? Wednesday 8th June 2005 was the seventh anniversary of the death of the former khalifa of the Nigerian state, General Sani Abacha. During his time, the mere mention of his name sent shivers down the spine of Nigerians especially those of the pro-democratic movement. In death, Abacha was alone, forgotten by all the ‘million Nigerians who marched in March, and their helms man, Daniel Kanu. During this seventh anniversary, there was no consoling word from the hitherto indefatigable Wada Nas; Ojo Maduekwe, OBJ’s bicycle minister, who ironically was very prominent in the ‘million-man crowd marching in March,’ with his false prophetic utterance that Nigeria was heading for dismemberment if Abacha was not allowed to succeed himself. Today he sings another tune. Even the members of the five Abacha parties, disdainfully dubbed ‘five fingers of a leprosy hand’ who gave the concept of consensus candidate a bizarre meaning, now find themselves light years away from Abacha ideals and philosophies that hitherto they espoused with frightening over zealousness. In death, Ikimi, Ani. Aziza, et al are no longer Abacha’s comrades. There was a single and simple advertorial sponsored by the Abacha family to mark this anniversary. Such is death and its power of alienation. Abacha is dead, and so will every one of us made by the Almighty God. But what legacy would we leave behind. Will Nigerians, groaning under the excruciating pains of IMF misguided economic policies that makes SAP of IBB pail into nothingness. We have never had it this bad! The tales of corruption perpetrated by government officials, who have stole us blind under the watchful eyes of Mr President and his harangue of agencies purportedly established to combat sleaze, but whose main objective is to fight perceived and real enemies, makes one wonder ‘quo vadis?’ Democracy, as it is today, has become nightmarish, that we will want to wake up from. The demolition man, with all his fake make up as Mr Clean, though the records of his term at BPE point to the opposite direction, continues on the rampage, demolishing private houses with any alternative accommodation for people to move into. It is amazing that master plan or no master plan, this government that was ‘elected’ into office under the platform of hope, could go ahead and demolish more than ten thousand houses both in Abuja and its satellite towns, though it has not successfully built and completed any housing estate since it came to power more than six years ago. It is not in the business of provision of portable water or road networks that it has fared any better. With fuel, we have already given up, considering where we are coming from, and where we are now. In the midst of all these, we have six billion naira Presidential library, which smack of nothing short of executive extortion and blackmail. There was grief in the land when Abiola died; Nigerians felt the loss and reacted accordingly. The entire world mourned for Pope John Paul 11 at his demise. We were all touched, both Moslems and Christians knowing that the wound caused by his death will take a long time to heal. There will be even more out pouring at the death of Nelson Mandela, not just in South Africa, but also throughout the world. We will not forget what he did to free his people from apartheid, and by extension, Africa and the entire Black race. What will be Baba’s legacy? We are searching in vain for concrete reminders devoid of the sycophantic arguments of his men of deceit, whose stocks in trade are half-truths and blackmail. This is a clarion call for whosoever that has evidence that will stand the test of time to come forward. It doesn’t just suffice to say ‘I dey kampe…’ God is watching us… awaiykaen@yahoo.fr 11th June 2005. |
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