RE-…And You Call This Democracy?

This Friday at his Jumu’a Khutbah, my local Imam Shaikh Sani Shuaibu of Bilal Mosque in Kano, delivered a sermon on exactly what this Column said last week – the violence, mayhem and bloodletting that will surely herald the 2019 election, and which in fact have already started. The Imam dwelled on the Qur’anic verse […]

This Friday at his Jumu’a Khutbah, my local Imam Shaikh Sani Shuaibu of Bilal Mosque in Kano, delivered a sermon on exactly what this Column said last week – the violence, mayhem and bloodletting that will surely herald the 2019 election, and which in fact have already started.

The Imam dwelled on the Qur’anic verse “Wattaqu fitna…” wherein Allah says: “And fear the Fitnah (affliction, trial, torment, tumult) which affects not in particular only those of you who do wrong,” saying the politicians who drug our youths to perpetrate crime and violence in the name of politics are only wise by half, as the chickens will surely come home to roost one of these days, and nemesis will catch up with them.

On this same verse, one of the foremost companions of the Prophet (upon whom be peace), Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) has said that “Allah has commanded the believers to stop evil from flourishing among them, so that He (Allah) does not encompass them all in the torment (fitnah).”

Other comments on the Column follow:

LAWAL SHEHU ([email protected]): The answer to your question above is Yes, the political practitioners are subhuman, or lack IMAN, or both! Sometime in 1975 one Dr. Jenckens released result of a research he claimed to have conducted which found blacks to be of lower intelligence than whites. No doubt, the researcher was overwhelmed by cries of racism, even by fellow whites. Recently, a post on WhatsApp claimed that a Nobel laureate says Africans are of lower intelligence than whites. To crown it all, a renowned singer and America’s Trump listed why they considered blacks to be subhuman, for acts similar to what you listed in your column. By-the-way, this low level of behaviour is not peculiar to politicians. Why are our universities not functioning optimally? What about the daily petty thievery going on in ALL MDAs? Or doctors diverting patients to their private clinics? Honestly, I could go on and on. The list is virtually endless. I no doubt have had many more years to lament than you, but that is not soothing, either. Yes, a Dictatorship may be preferable. At least there is no pretence to democracy. But, unlike you, I’d give the operators another chance. That is, first let NASS include in the ongoing amendment to the electoral law a clause allowing for independent candidacy in all elections; second, let INEC fix new dates for primaries and submission of candidates by parties/candidates, and, finally conduct elections on the new rules. If this fails to change the situation, then give us a President-For-Life!

MUHAMMAD SANI ([email protected]): The mode of primaries under both APC and PDP is really provoking and paining. In fact, I have been sleeping and waking up with the thought every night and every morning of every day. In my state, there was nothing like primaries under the APC because all they did was rigging. How on earth could we ever have committed and dedicated leaders? I think it’s high time something gives so that all these corrupt politicians may be arrested and jailed.

ABBATI GUMEL ([email protected]): You appeared to be angry, unforgiving and relentless on the political activities recently conducted in the country. This is just the continuation of what we inherited from our political forefathers in the previous processes of conducting primaries in the country. Ours, as you call it, is truly “a lawless and irresponsible nation”. Where else do you find a nation which does not bother about its citizens being molested, harassed, maimed and killed in the name of producing a leader, and at the same time calling such a “democratic process”? Only in Nigeria! It is pertinent to note that elected representatives are always not ready to make amendments to the laws favouring them. Have you ever seen any law on the conduct of primaries, particularly these ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ ones in the nation’s Electoral Act? The Act governs the rules of general elections ONLY without even mentioning the punishments/penalties for those distributing or sharing monies to the electorate during elections.

SHEHU DARADARA ([email protected]): Mallam ka dauki zafi this week fa! What bothers me is not even the present state of affairs, no. My worry is the future, with our children therein, a wannan kasar. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun! Kuma with us, then at old age, helpless. Ai Mallam Bala kasa ta mutu tuntuni. Buhari is just slowing down the process. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun!

ALHAJI YUSUF HASSAN, ELDER STATESMAN: This message is for Editor of Aminiya Hausa Trust newspaper. Editor, please translate and publish prominently this Column “…And You Call This Democracy?” We intend to circulate it widely among our people and cause its discussion on our radio stations. Please oblige.

STILL ON BEROM 1000: GEN. ALKALI’S MURDER MASTERMINDS IDENTIFIED – “The Plateau State Police Command Thursday (see https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/missing-gen-alkali-police-declare-district-head-7-others-wanted.html) declared the District Head of Dura in Du district of Plateau’s Jos South local government area and seven others wanted in connection with the disappearance of the former Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, Major General Idris Alkali. They are Yakubu Rap, 52, the District Head of Dura; Chuwang Samuel aka Morinho, 28, a panel beater; Nyam Samuel aka Soft Touch, 25, a panel beater; Mathew Wrang aka Amesco, 27; Pam Gyang Dung aka Boss, 53, a farmer and miner; Chuwang Istifanus Pwajok aka Tifa, 46, a surveyor and businessman; Timothy Chuan, 26, a Tipper driver and sand vendor; and Moses Gyang aka Boss, 25. The statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer DSP Tyopev Terna stated that all suspects are Berom by tribe…”

STILL ON BEROM 1000: ARMY DISCOVERS GEN. ALKALI’S ORIGINAL SHALLOW GRAVE – Major General Benson Akinroluyo, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Division, Nigerian Army, Jos, said Friday (see https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/missing-general-community-buried-body-secretly-army.html) that “body of missing Maj. Gen. Alkali Idris (retd) was allegedly buried secretly by Dura Du community. He said when the General’s car was discovered, the community, because of the fear of the calamity that may befall them, hurriedly constituted a10-man team to exhume the body and rebury it in a secret location.” The GOC disclosed that during interrogation of some community members apprehended, four of them, at different times, took the Army to the shallow grave where the senior officer was first buried. The different sources not known to each other and at separate times, took us to the opened shallow grave where the senior officer was previously buried but removed. Furthermore, sniffer dogs, which have been cultured with the personal effects of the senior officer, led us to the same opened shallow grave. Akinroluyo expressed concern that community leaders in Dura-Du district were involved in protecting perpetrators of the evil act, and had earlier engaged women to protest against draining the pond where the Alkali’s car was discovered. He reiterated Army’s commitment to find Alkali’s body and arrest his attackers.

SAIDU SAMAILA ([email protected]): Thanks for the well-titled Column (BEROM 1000) and its sound content. But the problem with Nigeria is the hypocrisy of its military elite as they always protect themselves and their own. Recall all the ethnic conflicts in the country from the first crisis of 1966 till date, those behind the conflicts and crises were senior military officers of the older generation. None of them was prosecuted. Even the few that were apprehended were pardoned. You can rest assured that nothing will happen to these Berom suspects because Jonah Jang is a retired military officer. I remain to be corrected, but if I am wrong, then let’s see actions on the Plateau and in the Northeast on the Mambila.