"WHERE are we going in this country?" "Golgotha. It is obvious enough, not so?" "To think that a man can no longer sleep peacefully in his own home. Engr. Funsho Williams was killed in his own bedroom. The same thing happened to Chief Bola Ige."

" Alfred Rewane. And many others...."

"And to think the police never manage to resolve the mystery of assassinations, particularly those involving prominent public figures."

"But let's be fair o. I think they are really trying to get to the root of the present case. We must give the police some credit. They are exploring all possible leads and angles. The President himself is concerned. He even personally visited the family of the deceased."

"What I recall is that the President rained curses on the killers."

"You have started again."

"No. But you know what it means in African culture to invoke curses. Epe to gbona. Potent words that can have serious consequences. I read the reports very carefully. Sometimes our reporters don't do their job. They should have asked Baba whether his Epe was accompanied with Ase. And the particular god that is expected to give effect to the Epe. Did the President invoke Sango Elempe, Esu laa lu; Ayelala, Ogun lakaye, or was the Presidential order directed towards all the elements and deities to go after the killers of Funsho Williams and expose them?"

"I don't think assassins fear either deities or the living God. They are the true incarnation of Lucifer in blood and flesh. Curses won't deter them. What can guarantee the security of lives and property in this society is the rule of law. What we keep witnessing points in only one direction: the failure of the state, and the impunity with which criminal elements in our midst defy the law. Candidly, nobody is safe."

"This time around, the British Police will help us".

"British Police. What do they know about crime in Nigeria? Forty-six years after independence, you mean our police cannot investigate a case of murder with confidence? They have to run to the British to help them collect evidence."

"I don't have any problems with that"

"I do. Because, in the end, it is the Nigeria Police that must do their job. My problem with them is that each time there is a case of this nature, the police will run up and down, show great excitement; but in the end, nothing will come out of it all. The suspects will be released. The moment another thing happens, public attention will be diverted. And that is it. My concern is that Williams's murder should not end like that. Luckily, murder investigations are never overtaken by the effluxion of time."

"The Police are looking at many possibilities. Robbery. Political motivation. Crisis at the National Maritime Authority where Williams was Chairman..."

"Theories are not enough. It is the lead provided by the evidence that has been collected that can provide possibilities..."

"We should give the police a chance. Too many people are already pretending to be doing the job of the Police in this matter, including you."

"Because we don't trust the Police. Look, the people I really sympathise with are members of the man's family. Before long, his political associates will start supporting another candidate. All kinds of persons would try to make use of his political machinery. Don't be surprised if a candidate emerges from the PDP parading himself as a member of the Funsho Williams faction..."

"Life is like that. Already some prophets and spiritualists are using the incident for marketing purposes to promote their churches and temples. They have been claiming that they predicted Engr. Williams's death."

"Please can you leave those other deities out of this? Our prophets always speak after the incident; they are forever prepared to claim credit. I simply don't understand our people".

"So, what in your opinion, could have led to Engr. Williams's murder?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"I am asking because you tend to have an opinion on everything."

"I don't know about murder."

"But you always read people's mind"

"Who told you I am a mind-reader?"

"I am serious".

"What can be said I think, is that a front-line politician, being murdered in his own bedroom, just as the campaigns are beginning, whether we like it or not, that incident is bound to shake people's confidence in the political process. There is something about our political culture. Something violent, cruel, evil, frightening. Any other incident of this nature, and we might as well begin to prepare for the worst in 2007".

"If the politicians won't change their habits, we might as well have an Interim National Government."

"So, you are one of them?"

"One of what?"

"One of those people who have been saying that we need an Interim National Government which would spend two more years, to stabilise the country, before there can be a proper transition".

"I was just thinking aloud."

"Well, you must beware of dangerous thoughts, otherwise you can get yourself labelled as an enemy of progress. The idea of an Interim National Government is unknown to the Constitution. What is in the Constitution is that by 2007, there should be a change of government, resulting from an electoral process. This, again, is about respecting the rule of law."

"But how about having a three-year budget, that will cover 2007-2009 as proposed by the Federal Government?"

"Why are they just thinking of a three-year budget now? Why not in 2003? Why prepare a budget for a future government, whose agenda may be different?"

"I hear government is continuous".

"More like government is continuing."

"Well, the Vice President is not part of it, I hear."

"Is he still part of this government?"

"He is still the Vice President as far as I know".

"And number one critic. He sounds more like a social critic to me. In fact, the Vice President these days will make a good newspaper columnist. Look at his recent attack on INEC. Fantastic. He dismissed INEC as being totally unprepared. He was more or less saying that the Federal Government is not prepared. The following week, one of his men further challenged INEC to explain why eight months to the election, it is yet to do anything about the voter's register or release a detailed election time-table. What more proof does anybody need, to show that there is a crisis at the top?"

"I have said it before. I don't feel comfortable with what is happening in Aso Villa. I just hope we won't wake up one morning to hear that the President and his Deputy have resorted to physical combat, as once happened in Ghana between Rawlings and his Deputy".

"Maybe not with the President. But one of these days, Atiku could receive a major shocker. Look at the INEC people abusing him. Iwu called the Vice President "a frustrated politician", and "a member of the desperate section of the political class hell-bent on getting power at all costs".

"Very rude. Totally incorrect".

"Thank you. In fact, at that point, INEC betrayed its partisanship. Its assignment is to conduct free and fair elections, its commitment is to the Nigerian people. It has no business making political statements. Obviously, INEC is determined to oppose the frustrated and "desperate section of the political class", seeking political power in 2007. With this attitude about the character of the political class, it cannot be an impartial and reliable umpire. In a serious country, the INEC boss would have been fired by now".

"Not if he was acting on orders from above".

"Which orders? INEC is playing politics. With a President that is perpetually talking about loyalty, and the dangers of disloyalty, INEC simply wants to be seen to be loyal".

"I admit that that is dangerous for the polity".

"What do you expect? INEC is an interesting place to be. Did you not read that story about a former INEC Director of Finance now late, who had N1 billion in his savings accounts. The public and the EFCC got to know because his wives were quarrelling over how to share the money..."

"No. I missed that. I only read about a former Permanent Secretary also now dead, who left behind so many houses, at home and abroad, and heavy bank accounts. In his own case too, his wives were quarrelling over the assets..."

"But I am sorry, we are digressing..."

"What were we talking about?"

"Atiku and INEC".

"Oh, yes. Poor Atiku. There is even a bill now that will bar serving government officials from running for office except they resign their appointment..."

"I don't have a problem with that".

"But I hear Atiku has no plans to resign".

" Now I don't understand. Look at Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The lady has walked out on the President. According to one report, this is due to "deep personal clashes between her and the President". We may never know how deep but that is what I call courage, confidence".

"I saw it coming. The President moved her to the Foreign Ministry. Then, he made her the Head of the Economic Intelligence Team, with someone else as Finance Minister. In Nigeria, that kind of arrangement never works. It is an open invitation to intrigue and power-play. Then, all of a sudden, the President dropped her as Head of the Economic Team."

"So you think Okonjo-Iweala is a victim of power-play?"

"I can't say. After all, the President has the powers to assign portfolios as he deems fit. He is captain of the ship. And if you know this President, he cannot stand prima donnas".

"What's that?"

"Let's leave that. But I salute Okonjo-Iweala's courage. In Nigeria, people don't resign appointments. Is it not in this same government that some former Ministers were appointed as "Royal Messengers" and they accepted it? But here is someone who is saying that she can survive without government appointment. That is the part of it that I like. We need more people like that".

"It is easy for Okonjo-Iweala to walk out on the President. She has her job at the World Bank waiting for her. Many of these other people are "government pickin". They will lose relevance if they leave government."

"This is why we always argue that government appointments should not be given to job-seekers."

"But is it wise to resign from a Nigerian government, knowing what you and I know?".

"I don't know what you know. But you should be careful. There is a Federal Government bill before the National Assembly which prescribes punishment for people who give false information."

"When you resign from a government in Nigeria, it could be taken as an insult, as an expression of disloyalty, ingratitude. And let's face it, Baba has been very kind to Okonjo-Iweala. I mean, who knew her before now?"

"Please, what is that? She went there to serve Nigerians, not Baba. I don't want this kind of beer-parlour logic. Okonjo-Iweala has the right to make her own choices, including the right to say No."

"Well, I don't know o".

"You should know".

"If you were in her shoes, would you have resigned, or wait to be fired by Baba?"

"A completely irrelevant question".

"No. That is the question."

Robot  # 1 | 04.08.2006 01:31

Quo vadis?By Reuben Abati "WHERE are w...Read the full article.

elijiji  # 2 | 04.08.2006 04:46

Oga Rueben, Your dialogue as usual is interesting. On the rofo-rofo btw INEC and Atiku, every right thinking Nigerian knows that INEC cannot organise a Free & fair elections. 2003 would be childs play compared to what will happen in 2007. On the Bill sent to the National Assembly, you and I know that Atiku will never resign, for obvious reasons. The moment he resigns, he would have lost his immunity, and EFCC would pick him that same day. He knows this fact hence his reluctance to also leave the PDP. Every Nigerian, including the blind and the deaf, knows that Atiku is reeks of corruption(same goes for Baba Iyabo), Atiku knows that OBJ also reeks of corruption, hence his threat that Obasanjo should not push him to open his mouth and talk. Atiku has a dossier of most, if not all the corrupt deals Obasanjo partook in, that he hopes he could always use as a blackmailing tool. A lot of expose is still coming on how Baba iyabo has been ruining the polity. On Okonjo Iweala, there are various scenarios: 1. By resigning she has given ammunition to those who have always said she came to execute the scripts of her pay masters- the IMF and World Bank. She has used our savings to pay the debt, so she can now go back. 2. This is worrisome, she was alleged to have berated Usman as being unqualified, and that the only reason Usman was made Finance Minister was to give Obasanjo easy access to steal our wealth. If this is true, we are in deep trouble. Rueben, you and I know that Usman is, truthfully not qualified for that job. She can easily be manipulated. Please we all have to be very vigilant.

Chekereke  # 3 | 04.08.2006 09:47

Uncle Reuben, When a country is mad, it is expected that everyone living in it will be mad too! Nigeria our country requires psychiatric treatment. We require the services of the Freuds and Lambos of this world (and the world beyond!). We were formed as a 'child of convinience' for the British and we have refused to grow up since then. so we are suffering from mental retardation! Or else, how do you explain a country where appointed public officers trade words with the 2-ic of the nation? Though the 2-ic too is supposed to have been part of the people that appointed the official in the first place, and so is also indirectly responsible for the man's performance and conduct. When a man defecates close to his house, he will also suffer from the smell! When the going was good, Atiku and Baba Iyabo took most of the decisions that Atiku is crying about now. He should suffer for it now! How else can you explain a country that has to go and import policemen from London to investigate a murder? Dont they have policemen there, or are they all incompetent? If there are incompetent, why are you keeping them there, and using tax payers money to pay them monthly? How else can you describe a country that has driven Uncle Reuben to the point of having dialogues with himself? 'Na craze world be that ooohhhhh!!!'

Gracie  # 4 | 04.08.2006 13:26

Yes! Baba OBJ can appoint, reappoint, even self Oh disappoint any minister in his cabinet as deem fit. What I struggle with is his recent appointment of Mrs. Usman , Minister of Finance, judging by her qualifications, first degree, Geography, diploma advance management studies, well, well O… the other qualification that most Nigerian men will not ignore is her fine peach complexion that always eats out hearts and minds. Now the eagle has landed at Aso Rock the coast is clear for easy access to carte away all savings from debit relief fund. Now the TTA failed reasonable the only option and things to do by (purposely) Nigeria standard will be to leave the house empty. Isn’t what Shagari said in 1983 that the treasury was empty when he took the mantle?

unregister  # 5 | 05.08.2006 18:50

Curses do work. (Especially when pronounced by a religious person like Mr President who also happens to be not just an ordinary "Baba L'egba" of the Owu stock but a War Chief) Now, its just okay to invite the British Police if deemed necessary. Didn't you have Lawyers in Nigeria when Chief Awolowo chose a British Lawyer to defend him in the treasonable felony trial? Didn't Abubakar Govt procure a fake Canadian autopsy after the murder of MKO Abiola? Didn't Muhammadu Buhari commission Israeli Doctors to help "bag" Umaru Dikko home from Britain? Wasn't the Lagos City Hall designed and built by Israelis? Don't your leaders go abroad for Medical Treatment? Except you just want to call a dog a bad name just to hang it, you make no point lambasting govt or Williams Family for bringing in forensic experts to ascertain the truth of the case. You also cannot, at this stage, condemn the Nigeria Police. Vice President Atiku Abubakar did wrong to codemn INEC. Are you praising him for it? Should INEC have kept quiet while being discredited? Put yourself in Prof Iwu's shoes: What would have been your re-action? If you have been abusing and insulting Mr President in the name of free speech, what makes it "rude" to reply Mr Vice Ptresident if he opens his mouth too wide? Should Nigeria cease to exist because we deny a Camerounian the Presidency? The resignation of Ngozi Iweala is nothing unusual. Chief Obafemi Awolowo served creditably in that office (FG prosecuted the Civil War without borrowing ONE KOBO from outside) When Chief Awolowo bowed out, it was a honourable and celebrated exit. Insinuations that Ngozi bowed out because of iminent looting of the treasury is pure mischief. She should have stayed to add more to her laurels by fishing out the perpetrators of the fraud she uncovered at the Ministry of External Affairs so soon after resuming office there. Chekereke: "How else can you describe a country that has driven Uncle Reuben to the point of having dialogues with himself?" I agree with Chekereke above that Reuben Abati was probably "driven" to write this distractive soliloquy.