"I’m back this week with my weekly epistle to fellow Nigerians and Africans. You must be wondering about the title of my article today, especially the word “they” and who it refers to ultimately. You don’t have to guess too much as I will explain to you in a jiffy. The “they” are those groups of men and women who litter the corridors of power in our dear beloved country Nigeria.
They are some wonderful people who understand how to manoeuvre their
ways through the labyrinth of power. They are professional hijackers who
know how to hold powerful people, particularly our leaders, hostage.
Nigerians usually call them the cabal or Mafia or whatever nomenclature
is in vogue at the time. Truth is, they exist in reality.
What is often baffling is that these
folks perch like rattlesnakes and pounce at the slightest opportunity on
the men of power. They inflict their poison and, sooner than later,
their victim begins to behave unusually, even sometimes irrationally.
The more the poison permeates the body, the more the victim sinks deeper
into the abyss and onlookers begin to observe a complete transformation
and transfiguration. Surprisingly, these guys were and are never around
during the struggles. Once the struggle is over, they crawl out of
whatever holes they were ensconced in whilst things were hot! And they
soon become the greatest beneficiaries of a campaign they never partook
of. Trust me, every government has them. If you ask me, it is one reason
most of our governments have failed so spectacularly.
My preamble is predicated on my deep
observation of what is going on in Nigeria at the moment. I can say I
know President Muhammadu Buhari reasonably well even if I was a latter
day convert to Buharism. But once I got hooked like a drug addict, I was
ready to go the whole hog and I have never looked back. Buhari’s appeal
is based on his populist credentials. We all saw him as a man of the
people and a Mr Scrooge who would never waste scarce resources on
frivolities. But the “they” of Nigeria have repackaged Baba to the
extent that many now refer to him as the “Gucci President”. Every
fashion designer’s delight, as he has become a veritable fashion
trendsetter. Of course, this is not to denigrate the President because
his previous austere style suits him as much as his now trendy look
becomes him! The fact is that by his handsome, gangling and fit nature,
the President will always appear impeccably turned out and well groomed.
However, now, his paraphernalia of power has become somehow bloated and
overly flamboyant as well. How are the mighty changing!
The existing theory is that President
Buhari has inadvertently fallen victim of political 419ners who have
persuaded him about how powerful a Nigerian President is and why he must
play the part always by being overtly fashionable. I’m sorry to say
that they are stylishly setting Baba up for monumental failure. I expect
their agents to swarm the internet and abuse anyone who dare say
anything about the grand scam currently going on but it won’t be
strange. Every government I have known since I became an adult had such
acolytes to sing their praises and hold them up as infallible. But no
sooner than the baton of power changes than they disappear only to
reappear sometime and somewhere in the no distant future screaming
adulations of the unsuspecting new leader.
I vividly remember the period of the
Shehu Shagari Presidency. The poor teacher and humble farmer could do no
wrong. There was a popular Yoruba song specially composed and sang for
him: “Oluwa lo yan Shagari, Shehu Shagari…” Shagari’s apotheosis was
instantly assured. Those who saw the rot in the outlandishly profligate
government were tagged dangerous dissidents and told to shut their traps
up. Wole Soyinka, our own William Shakespeare, was one of the most
vociferous critics at the time.
As days climbed days and months rode on
months, the Shagari government became neurotic and saw enemies
everywhere real or imagined. Out of fear for its safety and stability,
the Nigeria Police Force was over-militarised as if in competition with
the Nigerian Army. We watched incredulously as the police under the iron
grip of probably the most powerful Inspector-General Police Nigeria
ever employed, Mr Sunday Adewusi, became ostensibly omnipotent. The
Shagari government controlled the heavens and the earth. The 1983
general elections was the last straw that broke the back of that
government.
The end came on December 31, 1983. A
terse announcement by a relatively unknown soldier at the time, named
Sani Abacha, shattered the invincibility of the Shagari regime into
smithereens. A new Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari and his ‘deputy’,
Babatunde Idiagbon were promptly installed. They in turn wasted no time
in pronouncing the direction of their government which was predicated on
‘war against indiscipline’ (WAI). That war encapsulated everything that
was wrong with Nigeria. While it was a worthwhile, expedient and
necessary move, the government failed to understand the complexity of
Nigerians. Our people love the concept of change in the metaphysical
sense but not in any way that hurts them and their families or friends.
That was the reality that soon hit Buhari and Idiagbon like
thunderbolts. While they were busy jailing and punishing the corrupt
politicians, they were undoubtedly amassing enemies. They were goaded on
by fifth columnists within and before long, it was time to strike. The
end came on August 27, 1985.
The same Abacha who announced Buhari’s
arrival pronounced his departure. It was such a cruel twist of fate. A
supposedly friendlier, humane and urbane Head of State, Ibrahim Badamasi
Babangida, was catapulted on to the national stage. He was projected as
Buhari’s fairer alter ego. He opened up the cells and disgraced and
humiliated politicians in their various stages of dilapidation spilled
out like locusts. Buhari immediately became the bad guy and Babangida
the benevolent dictator.
Where Buhari was stern-faced, Babangida
wore his famous toothy smile like the archetypal good guy. That was it.
Everything Buhari had built got dismantled. The solid foundation of
discipline and incorruptibility he was laying was uprooted in one fell
swoop! Nigerians’ penchant for good life and happy living won the day.
It wasn’t long before the “they” started
digging the grave for Babangida himself. He assembled arguably one of
the best teams ever, no doubt, but it remains a mystery who his real
advisers were that persuaded him to turn Nigeria into a game of
football. His sobriquet of Maradona, though very apt, was also an
albatross. He dribbled so much and resorted to endless transition time
tables. So much so, that he eventually dribbled himself into scoring an
own goal. Politicians were banned and unbanned according to the whims
and caprices of one man. When the elections eventually took place, on
June 12, 1993, they were programmed to fail spectacularly.
Till this day no one knows what truly
happened that led to our best elections ever being truncated and
annulled. Pity that none of the influencers in the Nigerian polity could
dissuade Babangida from committing this unfortunate and costly
hara-kiri. Even worse, no one or group has come out to say they advised
him against such perfidious act but he did not listen. Nigeria is yet to
recover from that stupendous tragedy.
The fall came on August 27, 1993, when
he suddenly stepped aside and handed over to a lame duck Interim
National Government (ING) headed by Chief Ernest ‘Degunle Shonekan.
This government was as weak as they
come. It lacked the liver to deliver on revalidating the annulled
mandate freely given to the winner of the Presidential election, Chief
Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. This would have enjoyed the wide
support of the people but sadly such opportunity was missed by the inept
team and the interim government was soon sacked by General Sani Abacha.
Babangida had apparently set up the ING with a view to returning as a
civilian President but man proposes and God disposes. His nemesis was
Abacha his erstwhile compatriot and friend!
The understanding when Abacha seized
power in a military coup was that he was going to right the wrongs of
the June 12 elections, clean up the remnants of the Babangida loyalists
and give power back to the man elected freely by Nigerians.
That turned out to be a classic case of
naiveté at its most ludicrous. The man simply collected power pronto and
sat down pretty. No Jupiter was going to remove him from that gilded
cage. The Abacha government failed like others to learn the lessons of
history and most importantly that no leader had ever succeeded in
enslaving Nigerians…
I’ve deliberately taken us down memory
lane to demonstrate how the demons of power have sentenced Nigeria
perpetually to stupidity and backwardness. And it seems a fool at 56 is
almost irredeemable from its tomfoolery unless a miracle happens. That’s
the miracle we gave to President Buhari last year on a platter of gold
after his fourth attempt. But things seem to be spiralling out of
control. I know the President would be told all is well by those
benefitting from the current state of things but, walahi, I will always
tell Baba the truth. I’ve come to see him as the last hope of the masses
and if he fails we all fail.
The first truth is that this government
is looking too elitist and ceremonial. I’m not sure this is intentional.
The amount of time, energy and resources being deployed on hosting this
and that is becoming ridiculous. Whoever suggested that the President
should break Ramadan fasts with so much fanfare did not do any good for a
government with too many horrendous challenges. If I had any influence
in this government, I will advise that government needs to demonstrate
its commitments and seriousness at tackling the intractable problems. We
should see pictures of brainstorming sessions. We should have and see a
brilliant economic team at work.
We should see the President supervising
projects nationwide in his jackboots. We should see the President
appointing the many Nigerian geniuses that litter every part of the
world to assist him use the power God has bestowed on him to benefit
ordinary Nigerians. The qualities of appointments we are seeing lately
have become appallingly lacklustre. This is not the best Nigeria can
offer.
I do not really care if even if all
appointees come from Daura, I would leave that agitations to others, who
may be myopic or selfish. I’m more interested in the merit, competence
and patriotism of such people. President Buhari can make do with a
star-studded team regardless of political and religious affiliations. It
is never too late to CHANGE!
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