Tambuwal is Jonathan’s best friend

The madmen, despite being dangerous, are the ones who shake things up, even changing history. And that is the category to which the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in the estimation of the presidency, at least, belongs.Not just one, but up to three key figures in the Jonathan administration, with whom […]

The madmen, despite being dangerous, are the ones who shake things up, even changing history. And that is the category to which the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in the estimation of the presidency, at least, belongs.
Not just one, but up to three key figures in the Jonathan administration, with whom I have had extensive discussions on the viewpoints of Aminu Tambuwal  on the presidency have simply said, “don’t mind the mad man.”  
Let us take the stigmas. John Major was as straight as they come. During his tenure as the Prime Minister of Britain, boats might not have been rocked or barricades stormed, but he ran a clean government. In Nigeria only Ernest Shonekan would pass for straight. Fixer’s in all estimation would include people like IBB and France’s ex-PM Nikolas Sarkozy but where IBB was accused of fixing the June 12 election, before he deviated, what would have become a highly effective prime minister for France shot himself in the foot fixing democracy in francophone Africa and women. But some fixers can also do good things. Lincoln was the greatest fixer in US presidential history. Yet, nobody has ever disclaimed the fact that he was among its greatest presidents. With his letter of few days ago, Obasanjo can jell with the fixers, but not in the mould of Lincoln.
Take the madmen, those who “take the bull by the horns” seriously – Napoleon is one, Margaret “Margie” Thatcher another. Both left their footprints on the sands of time. But the mad people who most impacted on history are Reagan and Gorbachev. Reagan who was identified by many as Margie’s mate was mad enough to help end the cold war while Gorbachev’s madness Balkanized the Soviet Union.
I delved into this treatise to, like those who see beauty in ugliness, seek what is good in madness. Mr Speaker may stay with the mad ones but honestly, try as hard as I did, I am yet unsure whether Jonathan is straight, a fixer or mad. So, go figure!
Fast-forward to Tambuwal. His emergence as the Speaker of the House against the wishes of the presidency and the PDP was not only audacious but indeed crazy. Any mad move is a double edged sword which could make or mar a political career. In Tambuwal’s case, madness was good enough to build him into a colossus without whom Nigeria’s democracy would have lost definition.
Today Tambuwal is the only political figure in office who speaks truth to power. And he picks his occasions carefully for maximum effect. Sometimes even when he is asked to thank the president, he gives Jonathan reason to lose sleep. One such example was in October 2012 when Jonathan addressed a joint session of the National Assembly on the 2013 budget.
While Jonathan’s mood on that occasion was self-congratulatory because he had brought-forward the budget presentation contrary to what happened the previous year which led to wide condemnation by the people, Tambuwal’s message stuck a pin in Jonathan’s balloon with his vote of no thanks.
He told the president that oversight reports from their Committees on the 2012 budget were unimpressive.  Tambuwal cited the provisions of Section 8 of the Appropriation Act to the effect that approved budgeted funds shall be released to MDAs as at when due which he said were “observed more in breach.’
Tambuwal complained that government was monopolizing domestic borrowing and funding its deficits. Similarly he regretted the ritual between the legislature and the presidency that jaw-jaw over benchmarks. Tambuwal drew the attention of the president that Revenue from gas, running into billions of dollars, was not reflected in the budget, like the records of external borrowing.
In a nutshell, what the Speaker was demanding is transparency, accountability and probity. He reminded the president that the nation was in arrears of its developmental potentials and that a “business as usual” approach was unhelpful and totally unacceptable; that Nigerians no longer wanted words, but action. Tambuwal said the stakes were high but things were bad. They still are. But Tambuwal hinted that “the National Assembly wants Jonathan to succeed.”
On their points of disagreement, Tambuwal mentioned the disregard for House resolutions and public comments by functionaries of the executive. For example, Tambuwal cited the Senate Resolution on the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the House Resolution on the state of insecurity of the nation, the House Resolution on the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), the concurrent Resolution of the two Chambers on Bakassi, among others, which do not promote cordial relationship between the Executive and Legislature and consequently stability in the polity.
Has Jonathan heeded these words? Not that I know of.  So last Monday, Tambuwal dusted his thinking cap and again took Jonathan up on the issues of corruption in the polity.  The President’s body language’ seems to be encouraging corrupt practices in the country, he said, taking the subsidy probe, the pension scam, the SEC probe and recently the bullet proof car cases as his proof.
From the observatory, Tambuwal has remained true and friendly to Jonathan, like reggae legend Bob Marley said only your friend knows your secrets and only he could reveal it. Tambuwal is not just exposing Jonathan but trying hard to keep him on track.