On the march again!

Creativity is one of the prime casualties of the pedestrian strain of politicking our elite have embraced since the return to democracy in 1999. We haven’t heard memorable phrases; no inspirational quotes. All we are rudely confronted with are tired clichés as if the political elite photocopy their speeches from the same source. Some of […]

Creativity is one of the prime casualties of the pedestrian strain of politicking our elite have embraced since the return to democracy in 1999. We haven’t heard memorable phrases; no inspirational quotes. All we are rudely confronted with are tired clichés as if the political elite photocopy their speeches from the same source. Some of them cannot even read prepared text. K.O. Mbadiwe must be turning in his grave!
But there is good news. The electorate appear to be more discerning this time around. I have been monitoring the social media and the streets and I can say without fear of equivocation that the masses of the people will not be fooled by religious or ethnic propaganda this time around. Those who depend on a cocktail of blackmail, slander and hate-mongering will be shocked by the level of futility that will dog their every step.
While hirelings were busy dredging up mud with which to tar opponents, the two main presidential candidates, PDP’s Goodluck Jonathan and APC’s Buhari, have hit the road with their respective baskets of promises. Nigerians have been seeing their president defend himself against myriad allegations of incompetence and tolerance of corruption. He also spared time from his obviously loaded schedule to fire a broadside in the direction of his tormentor-in-chief, an Owu man called Obasanjo who also happens to be a former president and ex-godfather of the incumbent.
It is not prophetic however to say that we have not heard the last from Obasanjo. Hell hath no fury like a godfather scorned!
One significant, albeit unfortunate incident which elicited comments on the way the Jonathan administration has been prosecuting the war on terror was the killing in Paris of 12 journalists, editors and cartoonists working for Charlie Hebdo magazine by terrorists. Another terrorist held several people hostage. Within 48 hours the saga was brought to an end with the hunting down and killing of the terrorists by the security forces, and the rescue of the hostages with some collateral damage. Commentators were quick to point out that had the Nigerian government followed that path, the Chibok girls would have been rescued within the first 48 hours after their kidnap by Boko Haram.
As if to add to the president’s burden, one reader sent me his observations after listening to President Jonathan’s speech at the PDP rally in Lagos. Ayinde Adekola wrote as follows: “My take after listening to Jonathan about 40 days to the presidential elections. Before casting your ballot, remember the following: (1) The Chibok Girls; (2) NNPC Scam; (3) Police pension fraud; (4) Missing 20Billion; (5) $9million arms deal; (6) Bomb Blasts; (7) Immigration job scam; (8) Petroleum subsidy theft; (9); Devaluation of Naira; (10) Crude Oil theft; (11) Power outage; (12) Selling of Refineries; (13) ASUU & Poly Strikes; (14) Doctors’ Strike; (15) National Assembly lockout; (16) Aviation Scam; (18) Kerosene subsidy; (19) Insecurity; Corruption and Impunity.”
Making allusion to the N21 billion raised for the president’s re-election campaign, Adekola added for effect: “They didn’t raise N21 billion for Ebola; they didn’t raise N21 billion for dilapidated hospitals; they didn’t raise N21 billion for military weapons against Boko Haram; they didn’t raise N21 billion for flood victims; they didn’t raise N21Billion for children dying of preventable diseases; BUT they all gathered to raise N21 billion for another 4 Years of ineptitude, impunity and bad governance.”
In the coming days, the president will have to address these and other concrete issues and lay out what he plans to do differently if entrusted with power for another term. So far he has been passing the buck. The other day, he even said General Buhari cannot remember his phone number! Verbal diarrhoea demeans the presidency. Also, the strategy of some of his party’s operatives — name-calling, gutter language and a desperation to denigrate General Buhari and stop him from contesting at all costs, continues to backfire by the minute. While they chase shadows, Buhari is on the campaign hustings.
Eventually they will find out the hard way that the only way to win the presidency is through convincing the people and not by attempting to delete the opposition. We, the people, are on the march again.
Re: When you’re in a hole, stop
digging!

My last piece elicited many comments from readers but I have space for only three that I consider representative of the general trend:

Sir,
I really enjoyed your article, not because of anything else but the way you talk fairly on Nigerian politics. It makes me nearly cry when I see self-centred and tribal politicians heating up the polity.
I don’t want to talk about any politician but I want to see a president that would see himself as a Nigerian president first, and then do everything to stop looting of public treasury. He should provide Nigerians with their basic needs of life (Security, Education, Electricity, Health care, potable water, good roads, agriculture, solid minerals and job opportunities). Politicians should stop dividing us. God bless Nigeria.- Yusuf Lawal ([email protected])
Sir,
Your piece made good reading. I support Buhari’s Presidential bid because I simply want change. The incumbent met an internal debt of 2.1 trillion Naira. This has reached 9.1 trillion as at October last year. This is just internal debt that somehow ballooned in the midst of plenty. Reason? Products and services procured have been left unattended to. I personally am affected. Contracts executed have not been paid for since 2010. This is despite the establishment of the Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP. This was achieved under President Obasanjo. Yet people will talk of educational qualifications when a PhD holder doesn’t know that 19 is greater than 16. -Dajo Agusah ([email protected])
Sir,
I don’t agree with you that when someone is in a hole he should stop digging. Suppose I want to exercise my constitutional right to bury myself? (Lol!)-Bili Allison ([email protected])
Obafemi Awolowo’s Prophesy
“A day will come when Nigerian masses from the North and the South, Christians, Muslims and animists will merge as a force for progress and unity, and kick against rigging, corruption and tyranny.”