Conclave of strange bedfellows, CSB
the party must change its name from All Progressive Congress to a more suitable one such as Conclave of Strange Bedfellows, CSB. Imagine Kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso sitting at the same party meeting with his old nemesis, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau to discuss their party’s election strategy. At least there must be some pleasantries; […]
the party must change its name from All Progressive Congress to a more suitable one such as Conclave of Strange Bedfellows, CSB.
Imagine Kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso sitting at the same party meeting with his old nemesis, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau to discuss their party’s election strategy. At least there must be some pleasantries; Kwankwaso must use the occasion to tell Shekarau why he posted him from a permanent secretary to a classroom teacher. For his part, Shekarau must tell Kwankwaso why he set up a judicial commission of inquiry that went after him with full force ten years ago.
Meanwhile, at a CSB caucus meeting in Jigawa, Governor Sule Lamido will find himself sitting next to his former special assistant turned special nemesis, defunct ACN chieftain Abubakar Hassan Fulata. Things got so bad between the two men in later years that Lamido dragged Fulata to a shari’a court for defamation of character. Fulata must now be thinking about what he will tell the people of Jigawa State when he is standing on the soapbox next to Lamido. He must find a way of converting the unprintable words he once used into high praise.
An even bigger drama would unfold in Sokoto where Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko would be sitting next to his old boss turned deadly foe, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa. The two men have probably not set eyes on each other since 2008, when Wamakko went to Bafarawa town to condole his predecessor on the death of his father. Even that visit was painful religious duty which was totally lacking in social warmth. Now the two men will be plotting party strategy together, with their bitterly feuding aides sitting nearby.
Yola will also see a lot of drama at a CSB caucus meeting. Until recently, Governor Murtala Nyako would probably not bother to shake hands with either Mr. Markus Gundiri or with General Mohamed Buba Marwa, both of whom challenged him in the 2012 elections. He has not had a warm exchange with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar probably since 2004 but all four men could now be sitting together to plot common strategy. Truly a Conclave of Strange Bedfellows!
Unijos ASUU, you want to strike forever?
Anxious Nigerian university students and their parents must wait at least until the end of today to learn whether the National Executive Council [NEC] of the Academic Strike Union of Universities, ASUU [sorry, that first “S” stands for Staff] has decided to call off its latest strike action that has been on since July. Each one of ASUU’s 120 campus affiliates met on Monday to take a position on the Federal Government’s latest offer. Reports from many campuses suggested that majority of the lecturers voted to call off the strike but there was one notable exception: University of Jos’ ASUU chapter.
After a four hour heated debate which was full of big grammar and confusing ideological rhetoric, the matter was put to a vote in Jos. While 80 lecturers voted to end the strike, twice as many voted to reject the government’s offer and for the strike to continue. What was their reason? That last week’s meeting between ASUU leaders and President Goodluck Jonathan “did not achieve much.” What? Didn’t achieve much, with a N1.2 trillion offer on the table? Unijos ASUU’s second reason was that the promise may not be kept because “government is reputed for not honouring agreements.” At least that one is true. This country is littered with broken pieces of government pledges. Yet, there comes a time in life when you must accord the benefit of the doubt to even the most serial breaker of agreements. Not because he deserves it, but because we must all live to fight another day.