Of treasonable felony and politics
What were the statements? That those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. This is a common adage that is as true as has been previously proven in history. It was made by an American president and has since remained relevant in the global scheme especially within the realm of politics. The warning […]
What were the statements? That those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. This is a common adage that is as true as has been previously proven in history. It was made by an American president and has since remained relevant in the global scheme especially within the realm of politics.
The warning from the president to the effect that if Atiku dare make such a statement again, he will be arrested and prosecuted for treason is ridiculous to say the least. I don’t know since when the president assumed the arrogance of defining concepts and attaching meanings to them. Otherwise, I find it difficult to understand why such an unpresidential anger for a simple statement that is often made by people to address specific issues and situation.
In any case, my friend the other day told me that I should not worry with the growing presidential posturing in view of the gargantuan confusion that the president and his men have found themselves in as the PDP primaries draw near and the chances of incumbency factor increasing the tally on the side of the president is becoming slimmer by the minutes.
In a nutshell therefore, what the president seem to be doing and saying is the obvious manifestation of the gross incapacity he is made of and the dangers that Nigeria may find itself in, in the event that Goodluck Jonathan narrowly or fraudulently makes it back to the presidential villa.
In the last several months since assuming office after the death of Umaru Yar’adua, we have seen and heard people like one Edwin Clarke make very inflammatory statements threatening not just the peaceful existence of the nation but its very existence if Nigeria decides either by commission or omission to reject the presidential ambition of Goodluck Jonathan.
What some of us are waiting for is a post January 13th or post April 13th when the nation would have taken the decision to stop Jonathan from running its affairs and the aftermath, which if what people like Edwin Clarke are saying is anything to go by, the nation will be in flames. These irritating statements by Clarke et al have never been seen by government or even the president as any inflammation but the simple statement made by Atiku, which in any case is a repetition of what people say on minute by minute basis not just in Nigeria but the world over.
Instead of apprehending or cautioning Clarke and his gang, they and their children are continually rewarded with plump government contracts while others who have freely expressed their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association are being removed from office just because they are not in the Jonathan movement.
A very clear case is that of the Board of Governors of Federal Road Maintenance Agency, (FERMA) which was dissolved by the president a little over a week ago for reason not far from the fact that its chairman, Abdulkadir Abdullahi Kure was a number one supporter of the IBB for president enterprise.
Again, this is not just political vendetta but sheer political incapacity and an exhibition of the imminent dangers that the nation may face in the hands of this president and his group who though have power but seem to be ambivalent of what its correct uses are. Otherwise, I wonder how FERMA would be singled out amongst all the parastatals under the Ministry of Works for dissolution. The reason is very clear and if there are more cogent facts, please let the nation know because to the best of my knowledge it is neither a Jonathan or a Sanusi Daggash personal belonging that they can toy with at their caprices.
In my view, the accusation against Atiku represents the worst treason from those who ordinarily ought to deploy reward and sanction on citizens and society. Accusing a citizen of such grievous crime against his nation, a crime which remains unsubstantiated, in my view is a greater offence. There is a deliberate attempt to complicate matters as the polity is further tensed up in the countdown to the general elections.
Coming back to FERMA, even though the president has the powers to do so there was simply no reason for him to do so in view of the political reality on ground. Why would one parastatal be singled out for demolition just for the sake of politics? The implicit meaning of that is that regardless of what the agency is doing and its performance, the fact that the chair was partisan on the side of an opposition personality or group was enough reason to dissolve the board.
The lesson in all this is simple. The political leadership is bereft of ideas. It lacks direction, focus and purpose otherwise shadow chasing shouldn’t be an item on the agenda at this critical threshold when the nation is about to go to the polls. The expectation is that those who hold political power are definitely at an advantage because of the enormity of resources under their control and that could be deployed to better the lives of the people who in turn would reward that goodwill with another vote.
The fact is that the government has either little or very few achievements that can be showcased to win electoral fortunes by the incumbent. In this regard therefore, it is with high degree of certainty that I say the government has missed the target and is dangerously going off track as the party primaries and general elections draws nearer.
Nigerian’s are at liberty to make their choices; I am of the view that the Presidency is jittery over the authenticity of the acclaimed support from the critical stakeholders in the PDP presidential primaries. The government having lost the previous illegality of super delegates appears frightened by what may happen since every presidential contender is going to the convention to win over delegates as against the old scenario which gave the incumbent president unequalled edge over other contestants.
I am of the view that President Jonathan owes the nation tremendous apology for accusing his major opponent of a heinous crime when in reality it never existed. The president’s handlers must do more by ensuring that he is polished and refrains from making unguarded statements just because he sits on the nation’s most powerful seat.
Nigerians, especially their leaders, must do everything possible to ensure that institutions that will outlive individuals are entrenched within the nation. It is not about strong individuals as Barack Oabama said during his visit to Accra but about very strong institutions. If Nigeria had strong political parties for instance, we wouldn’t have been faced by the Goodluck menace.
Those in authority must pay the supreme sacrifice of subordinating themselves to the wishes and aspirations of the people. This is how democracy is built the world over and not through this brazen sycophancy and blind support for incumbency even if incapable or non-performing. Nigerians must do more to force their leaders to conform. This is a task that must be done and realized in very good time.