Azazi’s outbursts

This point was underlined by Muhammed Haruna, who at this moment in time wears the mantle of the dean of journalism, at least this side of Nigeria for his sheer commitment to the profession. He quoted Azazi’s views from the Washington Times in his column of May 9, thus ‘’Boko Haram is enemy of all […]

This point was underlined by Muhammed Haruna, who at this moment in time wears the mantle of the dean of journalism, at least this side of Nigeria for his sheer commitment to the profession. He quoted Azazi’s views from the Washington Times in his column of May 9, thus ‘’Boko Haram is enemy of all decent people. It is striving to spark a religious war the way racist extremists (in America) in the past tried to provoke race wars.’’ A position Muhammed granted as reflecting half of the story. ”The other half’’, he noted ‘’is that there seems to be rogue elements in government and plain criminals who are using it for sinister motives or for material gains—or both.’’

This assertion has since been apparent to anyone who bothers to look closely. One does not need to have psychic abilities to see that there is something untoward in bombs going off with reckless abandon, particularly in moments when the nation’s mind is concentrated on one outrageous government action or inaction. For instance, was it merely coincidental that just when the fall out of the Farouk Lawan subsidy probe indicting scores of government individuals was eliciting a groundswell of public outrage with calls for resignations of key figures, the dastardly and gruesome bombings in Jalingo and Potiskum occurred?

The question may be rhetorical and the events may simply have happened by chance, but it should also not be forgotten that the incidents redirected the public mind away from the salient issues of the subsidy probe to the bombings, in a manner that indicated those who blow themselves up along with their targets are mere puppets under the invisible hands of their puppeteers. Perhaps, it may well be that all this is preposterous and even plain dumb, just as Henry Okah’s claim on the sponsor of the October 1, 2010 bombings on Independence Day in Abuja and the Delta one seven months earlier, but until such a time when those charged with furnishing the nation with categorical reasons why such assumptions are stupid conjectures, the queries would continue to be posed.

Still all the foregoing masks the real import of Azazi’s preoccupations to which he gave expression at the summit. For me, singling out the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) whose internal dynamics he tongue lashed for bringing the nation to its current unpleasant position, is a tacit thumb down for the exploit of the party and the way it has handled the affairs of the nation in the thirteen years of democracy. Of course, he would not be saying anything new as it has long been obvious that the PDP is long on inordinate hubris but acutely short on vision. It used to be the mantra of every ranking party person, even in the face of gross official malfeasance and display of lawlessness to tell Nigerians that the party would rule till eternity and if people don’t like it they can go jump into the ocean for all they care! To be sure, seeking to rule for perpetuity is not a crime, if such an ambition is premised on a vision to propel the polity forward, which in our case is to do catch up with others that are better than us.

True, with the ever worsening social and economic situation such empty arrogant outbursts have become few and far between, but the un-enterprising mode of governance has continued unabated. And so, well into the second decade of Nigeria’s democratic dispensation, the early euphoria that suffused the land has given to way to palpable despondency. The party and the government in place have not been able to arrest corruption, which has indeed continued to be undertaken brazenly by government officials, to the befuddlement of Nigerians. The sense prevailing these days is that railing against the many faults one sees elicits surprise in many people. As if to say ‘’na there you de, still wasting precious time on forgone issues. Better scramble for your own any which way you can o.’’ But inherent in this terse view is a call to anarchy, which in all material particular, pardon the legalese, is now staring us in the face with all its malevolent viciousness.

But we need to reclaim our democratic mandate of building a well ordered society as opposed to a broken one that exists now, where bombs go off interminably while those charged with combating the menace only know how to gorge themselves with gourmet got with stolen funds. Reclaiming the mandate which will restore many parts of the country that were once pristine and destinations where people come and go freely without the fear of being blown to smithereens, to their former status, is now the essential challenge for every patriot. Of course, this would still be done within the ambit of the extant democratic structures and rules. And no time is the aphorism ‘’organize, don’t agonize’’ more apt than now. This should serve as a wake up call for other political parties which should exploit the deep angst existing to their collective advantage. If the past is any guide, by election time nothing much would have changed to sway Nigerians otherwise in favour of the party in power. It is therefore incumbent on other political parties to organize for the battle for the soul of Nigeria.

It is gratifying that moves are being made towards that end as indicated by the recent meeting between Muhammadu Buhari, the flag-bearer of Congress for progressive Change (CPC) and Senator Bola Tinubu, the ACN leader when the former visited the latter at his Lagos residence. According to reports the visit was aimed at rekindling the attempt that floundered at the last election by working at presenting a united front in the next election. The time to start is now since no one should be deluded about the enormity of the challenge of unseating a behemoth that the PDP has grown into, with all its underhand bags of tricks. It is well worth noting also that it would be an election contested not only to save our democracy but the nation itself.

Rashidi Yekini—Sun Re o

The body of the soccer maestro, Rashidi Yekini was committed to mother earth at his home town of Ira near Offa in Kwara State last week. Typically, there has been no shortage of outpourings of encomium on the prowess of the late footballer. His death, just like many others before him, shows a certain callous indifference on the part of government to the wellbeing of many of our compatriots who at one time or the other put their gifts at the behest of the country. In Rashidi’s case, all it would have entailed was for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to rescue him from destitution by giving him a chance as a coach. Or better still for Kwara State, his state of origin to engage him in the sport ministry.