Is Senator Jubril Aminu a real or opportunistic democrat?

There is certainly no gainsaying in the fact that Professor of Medicine Jubril Aminu, a second term PDP Senator from Adamawa state courtesy of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s efforts of rehabilitating bankrupt elites, has till date refused to behave or speak like a real democrat. Aminu is most of the times in the Nigerian press either insulting his erstwhile political godfather, Atiku or throwing the ethics and norms of democracy and democratic practices to the dogs. In spite his academic qualifications and experience, exposure, and public and political office experience, Aminu is still behaving like a typical Fulani who is contemptuous of other tribes and is never respectful of others views.

It is not only surprising that after serving this country as Vice Chancellor of a Nigerian University, Chief Executive of a Federal Government parastatal, Federal minister in at least two ministries, Nigerian Ambassador to the world’s number one democracy- USA and a Distinguished Senator from 2003 to date but also annoying that his utterances and conduct have put to shame himself and all lovers of democracy and its tenets.

Only recently some notable Nigerian newspapers quoted Senator Aminu again throwing his anti democratic bombshell at the Nigerian public including those he is currently representing at the national assembly. He was quoted advising those clamouring for states creation likely to be offered by the just about to begin constitution review committee by the national assembly to forget it as he puts it ‘the political history of the country has shown that no civilian administration can create any states’. This is not only flimsy but most importantly an attempt to deny Nigerians the right to aspire to have states of their choices created for them.

There is therefore no doubt that no real democrat will behave the way Aminu had done. Methinks that democracy is about involvement of more people in their affairs. And seeking for states creation is one of the issues of national importance enshrined in the Nigerian constitution. Or is Jubril Aminu standing in the will of the people to have more representatives at the states and national affairs?  He is just there to put sand in the ‘gari’ of agitators.

One only hopes that Aminu is not a member of the constitution review committee of the state as his membership will certainly spell doom for all Nigerians looking forward to new states carved out of their present states. Aminu’s reason for saying states creation at this point in time is impossible is simply because’ agitators are not ready to make compromises in their demand’. Aminu is just a spoiler, a betrayer. One has not only bitten the finger that fed him but also dismembered it away from the hand.

But one then is forced to ask Aminu, should this then be a reason why people should not agitate for states creation? However, Aminu’s true and whole hearted reason came to the fore when journalists pressed him hard on why he thinks only military governments can create states by fiat. Said he: “I am of the view that abolishing state governments would help the government conserve funds for better development. If governance is between federal and local governments, the impact would be felt better”.

From the above quote one can see the real reason why Aminu is discouraging people from putting forward their requests for states creation. In a real democracy, people must be allowed to exercise their rights by demanding for adequate representation.

I have no doubt in my mind that Aminu is one of those opportunistic Nigerian politicians who are all out to reap from where they did not sow. He is  in all respects not a true democrat. He is only using democracy to achieve his selfish ends. No more, no less. No wonder the other day Jubril Aminu was widely quoted in the Nigerian Press saying that he will oppose Atiku’s coming back to the PDP because once he (Atiku) comes back, Aminu will be pushed into irrelevance in the party.

Barrister Rafindadi Mohammed

(rafindadimohd@yahoo.com)

20 Daura Street

Katsina

Robot  Villager

# 1 ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 21.10.2008 04:06