If progress was shoved in our faces…

The crux of my last week’s article, titled ‘Yar’adua’s Health – Upping the Ante’, was to inform all and sundry that there could be more to what is going on.  A man lays sick in some hospital in Saudi Arabia; a man who, perhaps believed he could do something positive about the Nigerian situation; a […]

The crux of my last week’s article, titled ‘Yar’adua’s Health – Upping the Ante’, was to inform all and sundry that there could be more to what is going on.  A man lays sick in some hospital in Saudi Arabia; a man who, perhaps believed he could do something positive about the Nigerian situation; a man who may have tried his best within the ambit of his health situation.  And what does he get; clamours that he should ‘get out’, mockeries of his state of health, even as he writhes in excruciating pain.  People are shouting, ‘Resign, Resign, Resign!’, without thinking of how it will be to shove a prepared resignation letter in the face of a sick and probably dying man, asking him to append whether he likes it or not.  

We have failed to consider the fact that no one wants to go down a failure, or even the realities of Nigeria’s tribal politics. In Yar’adua’s precarious state of health, he has to grapple with the fact that whatever he has done, Nigerians do not give a rat’s ass (pardon my French), and most would rather he disappears from the face of the Earth, just like his Brother (who was injected and died on December 8, 1997). That must be a very heavy load to carry, and could turn a man’s heart against his people.  

Is this how we create monsters from our leaders?  What message are we sending to those who aspire for leadership tomorrow; that it’s a dog eat dog world and they should only care for themselves because if they suffer misfortune Nigerians would wish they ‘clear out’ and die? Does this reflect the black man’s alleged retardation? And do we prefer leaders who treat us like wild animals, like Umaru’s predecessor?

My heart bleeds for Nigeria, at our lack of perspective, at our myopia, hysteria, selfishness and mercilessness.  Public and private sector alike is full of thieving bastards who couldn’t care less even if the country was set ablaze, so long as they advance their stinkingly fat pockets.  My full support will I lend to a good man, who is lying prostrate and ill, but whose people would rather trample upon.  I am aware that I back a losing horse.  

Many have interpreted the current illness only from the perspective of money.  They complain about the man’s unavailability to sign cheques and award contracts.  For these people, all that matters is money, and even as they face an unanticipated shrinkage in their fortunes as a result of the global recession, they are ready accuse Yar’adua as the root cause of their misfortune.  I read a report, about how Nigerians who invested in Dubai have lost 70% – 80% of their money.  Over 20% of FAAC (Federation Account Allocation to States and MDAs), worth over N70billion are alleged to feed the Dubai properties market annually.

After ripping off stock market investors of close to N8trillion, which is close to three years annual national budget, so-called whiz-kid bankers thought they were smart and siphoned the money into Dubai properties market among other places.  They too have lost 70%-80% of the monies that they stole from an already poor people.  My message to them, who are the ones stoking anger among the populace is this: Yar’adua is not the cause of your problems, it is Nemesis that caught up with you!

With what is happening in Dubai now (where no one is sure of what to invest in), and the anti-money laundering activities of America and Europe (Obama is gradually breaking the back of Swiss Banks), there are less and less options for the rogues in Nigeria’s public and private sector to siphon our commonwealth abroad.  Call it Yar’adua’s luck, because this is happening in his time.  With criminals like Obasanjo and Soludo out of the way, our banks (many of whom, like the old Oceanic, Intercontinental and PHB stole huge amounts of money from shareholders and depositors to invest in phantom properties in Dubai and elsewhere as well, and have promptly lost over 80% of such funds), are now forced to start looking at the Nigerian economy.  

Going forward, banks will ‘beg’ people who have business ideas with money.  And they will undertake a lot of long-term infrastructure financing too.  

In concluding this piece, I want the reader to think about these issues:  Psychologists say human beings never change from what they were at 21 years old.  That tells me that Umaru Yar’adua, who was a Communist then, is still at heart, a pro-people Leftist.  I don’t believe all that Turai rumour.  My logic tells me he cares little about amassing wealth, unlike Obasanjo, Atiku and co (who also lost huge money in Dubai). Yar’adua’s open and early admission that his mandate was flawed, should have told us that he is in touch with what the feelings of the people are.  He’s is not in the usual mould of the callous, heartless Nigerian politician.  I therefore maintain that he is a prisoner in PDP.  We should have assisted him to do the right thing by us, rather than calling him a fool and a fraud.  

Presidents have died of different illnesses in office around the world.  Be it Zambia, or Togo or the USA (where 8 past presidents died in office).  Their people never shoved them off.  But perhaps Yar’adua’s sin is that he’s hanging on.  So Nigerians want him to die quickly or get out of the way.  Why are our people so disdainful?  We disdain our leaders, we disdain other tribes, we disdain other religions, and we end up disdaining ourselves.  

Anyhow, with antecedents of his brother, Shehu, Abacha, Murtala Mohammed, MKO Abiola, among others, anything could be happening, and we are reacting in exactly the way that these super chess masters would want us to react – we are already rubbishing Yar’adua’s work, and worth. Nigerians should be worried about who is ‘killing’ the man, whether it is a local or international affair, or if this is a natural development. And I assure Falae, Masari and the rest that their own children and grandchildren will come and demand for their share of the properties and monies they amassed, as they lay sick on their deathbeds.