My disenchantment with the present administration is growing on a daily basis. As a keen observer and follower of happenings in the country, I had this cautious optimism that the country, at the end of the day would be better served with the person of President Mohammadu Buhari at the helms of government. His party has always inundated us with his strict abhorrence to anything corrupt. His ascetic mien also gives the impression of someone averse to worldly acquisitions.
He has not totally disappointed in that assessment of his person. But I am not scoring him 100 percent. He is human and there is no way the tar of what ails this country, that has led to its underdevelopment won’t touch him especially through those close to him and the different influences that surround him. He could definitely not be described as a saint. But among the ‘sinners’, he is definitely a better option.
But that is as far as I would want to stick my neck out for the president. Recent events in the polity is causing a lot of embarrassment to me and most Nigerians. And if it had been possible to create an avenue for people to vent their displeasure with this administration ( Executive and Legislative) through colorful use of abusive words, it would have been a sight to behold. I mean Nigerians being given the opportunity to abuse their leaders through a platform created for that purpose and would be called, a national day of abuse. Nigeria has a rich culture and we wouldn’t be short of colorful words to describe these people who daily shame us with their conduct. Imagine it, a national day of abuse when we would be given the opportunity to roundly abuse our leaders. It is not a strange thing. It has always been the practice during the Oke’badan festival in Ibadan, Oyo state, over the years. People go about singing abusive songs during the festival. I can tell you that this would help the state and the citizens as all those pent up anger against the establishment which finds outlet in socially disruptive actions would be dissipated.
Let’s start with the senate. I can imagine what people would say. Some people would curse them, call them different names from shameless fools, thieves to never-do-well whose only interest in the affairs of this country is how much they can corner. Some would describe them as hypocrites who pretend to superintend over the affairs of law making. A few would take our lawmakers on over their “randiness”. And they would not be too wrong. They would query how a country of over 180 million people would have the misfortune of these set of people pretending to make laws for us. Some would justify this shamelessness with the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu who both appeared in court on Monday and stood in the dock with the other co-accused like common criminals.
With heads bowed and hands folded behind their backs like not so recalcitrant kids, it was really a shameful scene and those who abuse them would have just cause especially considering that the same people would go to the hallowed chambers of the Senate to preside over the affairs of law making.
Personally, I feel ashamed that the country has come to this sorry pass with the country’s number one lawmaker and the third citizen going through this demeaning action and going back to take his seat in the senate to make laws. Laws for who?
In that dock that the Senate President and his deputy stood on Monday, the same dock had accommodated murderers, armed robbers and other petty criminals. And the question is; what’s the difference between them and those people who had stood in that dock before them. It is indeed a shame and one would have expected the senate president to borrow a leaf from the “honour” option that people of Yoruba extractions are known for especially their war leaders who do not go back home after losing a battle but prefer to commit suicide.
In this case, one is not saying the Senate president should do that, that’s too dire, but he could as well take the David Cameron option. Indeed, some would question politics as being practiced in Nigeria and would describe it as a racket to steal money from the poor, quoting late South African President, Nelson Mandela in his book, ‘Long Walk to Freedom’. Now to the executive arm of government. I know who would be the target of abuse by Nigerians- President Buhari. He would not be spared. They would not look at his age, that he is an elderly man and our culture abhors disrespect of the elderly. The only people that would not abuse the president would likely be the die-hard supporters and those now tagged as hailers on social media. In their abuse of the president, they would call him a nepotistic leader who has surrounded himself with his relatives in the presidential villa.
They would have justification because they would quote his fellow northern brother, Junaid Mohammed who said so. Not only that, they would roundly abuse the president for all his appointments so far, especially the “northernisation” of key institutions in the country. Some would call the president a tribalist and an ethnic bigot. Would you blame them for it? The entire security structure in the country has been taken over by northerners including agencies such as Immigration, Customs.
Some would abuse the president for his fight against corruption, saying his fight is one-sided, that it is only the opposition figures that are being hounded. They would be unreasonable even if you explain to them that Saraki is a member of the ruling party and he is equally facing trial. They would sneer and tell you that Saraki is being hounded because he is not “part of them” but an interloper and a later day progressive, having joined the party when he had problem in PDP.
But that is as far as I would want to stick my neck out for the president. Recent events in the polity is causing a lot of embarrassment to me and most Nigerians. And if it had been possible to create an avenue for people to vent their displeasure with this administration ( Executive and Legislative) through colorful use of abusive words, it would have been a sight to behold. I mean Nigerians being given the opportunity to abuse their leaders through a platform created for that purpose and would be called, a national day of abuse. Nigeria has a rich culture and we wouldn’t be short of colorful words to describe these people who daily shame us with their conduct. Imagine it, a national day of abuse when we would be given the opportunity to roundly abuse our leaders. It is not a strange thing. It has always been the practice during the Oke’badan festival in Ibadan, Oyo state, over the years. People go about singing abusive songs during the festival. I can tell you that this would help the state and the citizens as all those pent up anger against the establishment which finds outlet in socially disruptive actions would be dissipated.
Let’s start with the senate. I can imagine what people would say. Some people would curse them, call them different names from shameless fools, thieves to never-do-well whose only interest in the affairs of this country is how much they can corner. Some would describe them as hypocrites who pretend to superintend over the affairs of law making. A few would take our lawmakers on over their “randiness”. And they would not be too wrong. They would query how a country of over 180 million people would have the misfortune of these set of people pretending to make laws for us. Some would justify this shamelessness with the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu who both appeared in court on Monday and stood in the dock with the other co-accused like common criminals.
With heads bowed and hands folded behind their backs like not so recalcitrant kids, it was really a shameful scene and those who abuse them would have just cause especially considering that the same people would go to the hallowed chambers of the Senate to preside over the affairs of law making.
Personally, I feel ashamed that the country has come to this sorry pass with the country’s number one lawmaker and the third citizen going through this demeaning action and going back to take his seat in the senate to make laws. Laws for who?
In that dock that the Senate President and his deputy stood on Monday, the same dock had accommodated murderers, armed robbers and other petty criminals. And the question is; what’s the difference between them and those people who had stood in that dock before them. It is indeed a shame and one would have expected the senate president to borrow a leaf from the “honour” option that people of Yoruba extractions are known for especially their war leaders who do not go back home after losing a battle but prefer to commit suicide.
In this case, one is not saying the Senate president should do that, that’s too dire, but he could as well take the David Cameron option. Indeed, some would question politics as being practiced in Nigeria and would describe it as a racket to steal money from the poor, quoting late South African President, Nelson Mandela in his book, ‘Long Walk to Freedom’. Now to the executive arm of government. I know who would be the target of abuse by Nigerians- President Buhari. He would not be spared. They would not look at his age, that he is an elderly man and our culture abhors disrespect of the elderly. The only people that would not abuse the president would likely be the die-hard supporters and those now tagged as hailers on social media. In their abuse of the president, they would call him a nepotistic leader who has surrounded himself with his relatives in the presidential villa.
They would have justification because they would quote his fellow northern brother, Junaid Mohammed who said so. Not only that, they would roundly abuse the president for all his appointments so far, especially the “northernisation” of key institutions in the country. Some would call the president a tribalist and an ethnic bigot. Would you blame them for it? The entire security structure in the country has been taken over by northerners including agencies such as Immigration, Customs.
Some would abuse the president for his fight against corruption, saying his fight is one-sided, that it is only the opposition figures that are being hounded. They would be unreasonable even if you explain to them that Saraki is a member of the ruling party and he is equally facing trial. They would sneer and tell you that Saraki is being hounded because he is not “part of them” but an interloper and a later day progressive, having joined the party when he had problem in PDP.
Some would say the president planned to stifle opposition and wanted to bring back dictatorship into the country through the back door. They would cite as example those things happening to the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode, Olisa Metuh, who have not been able to find their voice and Ekiti governor, Ayodele Fayose is presently being hounded by the EFCC, employing extra-judicial means. Some would even abuse the president and question his aversion to corruption credentials adding that if one scratches very well, one would find a little bit of dirt. In fact, some would take the matter to his school certificate issue. They would justify what they are saying by adding that the president should have laid the entire matter to rest by producing the certificate.
Some people would be so angry with the president especially on the Saraki matter and ask whether he does not feel ashamed that the leader of the lawmakers in the country is standing trial in such a disgraceful manner, irrespective of the “offense”, he must have committed. They would wonder how this trial would help reduce the growing unemployment in the country. The growing inflationary which rose to 15.6 percent in April (the highest in recent time), the unending darkness across the land due to constant power failure and the general state of the economy that has continued to pauperize Nigerians.
But personally, I won’t join them in the abuse, believing that we shall still claim this country back and set it on the path of rectitude.
Some people would be so angry with the president especially on the Saraki matter and ask whether he does not feel ashamed that the leader of the lawmakers in the country is standing trial in such a disgraceful manner, irrespective of the “offense”, he must have committed. They would wonder how this trial would help reduce the growing unemployment in the country. The growing inflationary which rose to 15.6 percent in April (the highest in recent time), the unending darkness across the land due to constant power failure and the general state of the economy that has continued to pauperize Nigerians.
But personally, I won’t join them in the abuse, believing that we shall still claim this country back and set it on the path of rectitude.
No comments:
Post a Comment