2016: The Man Who Would Be Edo State Governor - Reuben Abati

By Reuben Abati

One of the finest persons I have been privileged to know is Odia Ofeimun: the man has a clean heart, he is completely incapable of malice, and in the face of all odds, he has a sunny view of life, add to that his incandescent mind, his absolute brilliance from which has poured forth a prodigious volume of poetry collections, books, essays, years of journalism practice and a reputation as a public intellectual of the very first rank. Odia as I call him, although he is more popularly known as Baba among the younger generation of writers, is also an incurable idealist, very stubborn to a fault with his idealism and this is where we oftentimes differ.

Dr Reuben Abati

He has been insisting to my hearing for more than a decade that one of his ambitions is to become the Governor of Edo State and knowing Odia’s frame of mind and constitution, I always laughed this off as a big joke, urging him to face reality and not behave like the Hornbill which incidentally is the name of the publishing house that he runs. When Odia is hooked on an idea, it is difficult to separate him from that idea, more so as he has the mental capacity to develop any subject at all into a grand, compelling narrative. And that is what he seems to have done with his obsession with being the Governor of his home state.

He took the bull by the horns last week, when he fired off a blistering essay titled “To be Governor of Edo State” (Premium Times, Nov. 22). The essay was well circulated in the media and particularly online but I don’t think anybody in Edo State is aware that one of their best gifts to Nigeria in the cultural sector is also eyeing Government House. I’ll be surprised if Governor Oshiomhole is aware of Odia’s declaration; well perhaps he needs not be informed, but now that he knows, he is likely to show interest in this special aspirant. The next Gubernatorial election in Edo State holds in 2016, and already the jostle and the hustle is on, with close to ten persons already seeking the APC nomination and the PDP also strategizing. Out of all the aspirants that may emerge, Odia Ofeimun is likely to be the most enlightened, honest and cultured, and the most articulate but it is also for these same reasons that he may not be Governor of Edo State.

Odia lives in Lagos, and goes home occasionally, when his busy schedule permits. I doubt if he knows the Senatorial Districts in Edo State or the number of wards and polling units. He has never had any cause to visit any traditional ruler, except may be the Odionwele of his Iruekpen village, and he has certainly not bothered to distribute bags of rice across the clans in the state as a way of knocking on the voters’ doors. Odia’s qualifications: he is a poet, political scientist and author; he was Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Private Secretary, he has been Secretary General and President of the Association of Nigerian Authors and he is intellectually, a genius.

But his Gubernatorial ambition reminds me of those guys who sit in far away America, or the United Kingdom, claiming to know how democracy works, and what is best for the entire world, who suddenly return home, paste posters all over the town and hope to become a Governor just because they have faith that the electorate will appreciate their quality and look for the best man for the job. Knowing Odia Ofeimun, he may not even be planning to print any posters. He doesn’t even belong to any political party; I will be surprised if he has a Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC); he has no Godfather, he does not belong to any grassroots political association. But he wants to be Governor in 2016, less than one year away, by writing beautiful essays on the internet!

Sorry, Odia, that is not how this thing is done. The Odia I know may argue brilliantly that he actually intends to demonstrate that his approach can win the people to his side and take him straight to the Edo State Government House in 2016. Let him start then, by translating his statement of interest from English into Edo languages and have it distributed across the state. Be warned: The piece is so high-minded, so stratospheric that even the people will be confused, whether they read it in English or his own native Ishan. He says: “I am determined to prove that within the particularity of one nationality, Edo, and the fold of a multinational state, Nigeria, it is possible to achieve high feats of modernity, cultural civility, and technological proficiency comparable to that of any other country in the world. And this, within forty months, Not two terms of office.” How does this guarantee the mass following and support that will offer the said forty months to start with? Odia’s programme is made up of “seven platforms.” He is promising free education, and that is understandable, he being a disciple of the great Awo. He is also promising to “re-plan and rebuild every village, town and city”; build a super dome underground railway station, value-added agriculture, free health care, eliminate waste, and “turn Edo State into a proper House of Culture”. I am actually doing an English to English translation, breaking down Odia’s manifesto for the benefit of his would-be voters who may not understand his poetically elevated English.

But what is he proposing in real terms? He says: “My fortune is that I have spent the last forty years of my life interacting with the best minds in this country.” You see, my fear is that when eventually Odia begins his campaigns he is likely to mount the rostrum to tell Edo people about Obafemi Awolowo and Wole Soyinka, one Friedrich Nietzsche and such other figures as Ogun, the god of iron. Tell me, how does that bring hope to the man in Agenebode or Ikpoba Hill? Aspirant Odia also tells the people of Edo State: “Living always as an ordinary Nigerian, going by public transportation as a matter of choice and as a matter of never dodging the pains faced by my fellow countrymen and women, I have more than forty books to show where I stand in the confrontation with the poverty, corruption, insecurity and other hazards of our time.” If Odia had shown me this piece, I would have deleted this part of it. Going by public transportation! How would this endear him to the average voter? And forty books: seriously? Odia is so committed to a life of the intellect; he is likely to end up reading poems and stories to voters! And does he plan to campaign with public transportation to show that he can confront poverty?

He goes further to declare that his election will not be a “cash and carry affair”. He expects the people of Edo State, three million and more, to contribute “one thousand, two thousand, and five thousand Naira, and even more, to my campaign funds”. Ehn hen? Is Odia planning a religious crusade where he will make the lame walk, and the blind to see, because if that is what he has in mind, he can be sure he’d get a lot of donations. But if his ambition is to be Governor, he shouldn’t expect the electorate to pick up his bills. He says he is counting on “their faith and trust”. This is what our dear brother intends to tell the members of the Edo State National Union of Road Transport Workers, traditional rulers and chiefs, spiritual leaders, polling agents, the large army of thugs, the scarlet ladies, the pooling booth enforcers, for whom every election is boom time, and who have been looking forward to the “stomach infrastructure” of Edo 2016. Faith and Trust! Sorry, Nigerians have lost faith in politicians and they do not trust anyone looking for votes.

The problem with Odia’s Gubernatorial ambition is not one of qualification- he is eminently qualified- but his honesty. He has no money to spend and he is telling the voters that he expects them to fund his campaign. He is not the type of politician who wants to “carry people along”. Speak as much grammar as you wish, in Nigeria, people expect to be “carried along”, whether you are an aspirant or a political office holder – they expect to be bribed. Odia is a straight, open book; the mind of a typical Nigerian politician is full of alleys and multiple by-pass.

I have been in meetings with politicians where it would be so obvious that everyone is lying, and that they are all aware that they are lying to each other, and this lying session can continue for hours on end, with everyone pretending to be doing something productive. If you are a tyro and you make the mistake of cutting through the bubble, you won’t be invited to the next meeting for sure! Nigerian politicians have their own way of arriving at convenient truths without ever saying the truth. I guess they rely on body language. Odia cannot survive such meetings: he will always defend his viewpoint and is capable of making a fool look like one. And if he becomes Governor, he will be worse than those ones referred to in political circles as “Araldite or Super Glue” , because he will refuse to divert state resources into people’s pockets. His Accountant General should of course, be prepared to receive regular lectures on Public Finance, delivered with the same felicity with which Odia pronounces on every subject, including polygamy.

Odia has not set up any campaign office. He has no campaign organization either. You and I are probably among the few who have heard of his ambition because we have read his beautiful literary composition on the subject. In some other societies, he would have been a perfect candidate – afterall, there have been reports of disc jockeys and writers becoming Presidents elsewhere. One professional comedian just won the Presidential election in another country. Odia’s approach may be so far ahead of our society, but still, let us not discourage him; let the people judge –which is the essence of democracy and let those who appreciate his quality and commitment take note and help turn his dream into something achievable. He offers a fresh and desirable possibility that is not seen today in Nigerian politics, and as is increasingly the trend in many parts of the world, we probably need non-establishment figures, with a good heart, like him, to help stop the extending frontiers of disillusionment in our land.

2016: The Man Who Would Be Edo State Governor - Reuben Abati

Appeal Court Judgment: I will win 100 times anytime, says Mark

ABUJA- FOLLOWING the nullification of his election by the Makurdi division of the Court of Appeal and call for a re- run of the poll within 90 days, former Senate President David Mark said yesterday that he will win 100 times if conducted that period of time.

Senate President, David Mark

It would be recalled that the All Progressives Congress, APC Senatorial candidate for Benue South, Daniel Onjeh had challenged the decision of the National and State Assembly Petition Tribunal to uphold the election of Senator David Mark of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

In a statement yesterday, Senator Mark urged his constituents to remain calm and be law abiding over the judgment, just as he asked his people not to be deterred by the verdict, but be strengthened ahead of the re-run.

In a statement by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, former Senate President Mark said believed that he won the election convincingly, adding that he has no doubt that his constituents would turn out en masses to vote for him again.

He said, ” What ever the situation may be, one thing I know is that my people are solidly behind me . They also appreciate the fact that I have done more than enough to lift up Idoma nation to a position of eminence in the contemporary political history of Nigeria.

” I won the election clean and clear. If we go back to the polls 100 times , I will still win convincingly”,

Earlier yesterday, the Appeal Court had ordered a fresh election to Benue south Senatorial district.

Appeal Court Judgment: I will win 100 times anytime, says Mark

FG has no money to rely on - Aregbesola

OSOGBO – The Governor of Osun state, Mr Rauf Aregbesola has said that states of the federation must look inward for their survival as funds coming to them from the federation account can no longer support their development projects.

Aregbesola

Aregbesola said with Osun’s receipt of N55 million for the month of September, the message was clear that all avenues hitherto untapped must now be examined in order to sustain development initiatives.

The Governor stated this at the commencement of the reconstruction of Orita-Olaiya-Ita-Olokan Road at Olaiya Junction to commemorate the 5th year of the Aregbesola-led government in Osun.

The project is part of the designs to ensure smooth transportation within the state capital, Osogbo.

He pointed out that money coming from the Federation Account has dipped badly hence the need for people of the state to look inward in advancing the course of the state by returning to Agriculture.

He said, “We must at this point tell ourselves the truth, there is no money coming from the federation account, 34 million barrels of Niger‎ia’s crude oil are on the sea without buyers.

“Money coming from the Federation Account has dipped seriously and our hope for survival is in our hands, what our forefathers lived on was agriculture.

“We must now go back to the farms and work. We also need to pay our taxes so that government can meet its responsibilities. For September, our state got N55.8 million. The money we received cannot pay for the power supply by IBEDC that we use at the state Secretariat‎ monthly”. The governor told people at the programme.

Advising people to adhere to town planning rules, Aregbesola also added that the issue of separating houses during road constructions and expansions could have been avoided if there had been strict adherence to town planning rules in the past.

He emphasised that his government regret and offer sincere sympathy to those that will be affected with the construction of the road which his administration is embarking on.

The Governor admonished those affected to see this as their own sacrifice of the present administration’s effort to enhance the status of our cities for better living conditions of the generality of the people.

Aregbesola stated that Mess rs RATCON Construction Company Limited will be undertaking the reconstruction of the road at the cost of N985,115,410.78 million.

He said, “The expansion of the road and the need to have a reasonable setback unfortunately meant that some buildings are already standing in the way and has to be separated. This could have been avoided if there had been strict adherence to town planning rules in the past.

“We regret this and offer sincere sympathy to those affected. They should see this as their own sacrifice in our efforts to beautify our city and develop a decent human environment. Nevertheless, we have set aside the sum of N392 million to the 127 people whose buildings were affected”.

The Governor appealed to people of the state to bear with government on the pains and discomforts associated with the road construction projects embarked upon, especially Gbongan-Akoda Road, noting that the delay was due to the unexpected financial challenges that befell the nation.

He assured that all the projects embarked on by his government will be completed before the end of the present administration.

The Managing Director, Messrs RATCON Construction, Engr. Fouad Howayek held that Aregbesola deserves commendation for the massive on-going road construction works in the state.

He noted that RATCON has been partner with Osun since the first term of Aregbesola’s administration in the area of rehabilitation and construction of road projects.

‎According to him, “This kind of unprecedented achievement recorded in the last four years is an attestation to the fact that Mr. Governor’s passion for the rapid development of the state is undisputed,” The RATCOM boss stated

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Engr. Nurudeen Adeagbo, stressed that the dual carriage way of Olaiya-Asubiaro-Ita Olokan spanning 2.8km forms the second phase of of on-going rehabilitation of selected roads in Osogbo township.

He stated that the road could have been executed along with others in the first phase if not for the paucity of funds in the state, adding that a total of N392 million will be required to pay compensation to people whose property will be affected by the reconstruction.

‎Adeagbo said, “This road project is to be executed by Messrs RATCON Construction Company Ltd. The company that handled the completion of 21 selected Osogbo township roads totaling 26.69km and the on-going Bisi Akande trumpet road awarded at N29.22 billion”

FG has no money to rely on - Aregbesola

What has changed since Buhari became President

The on-going protests in the South-East requires creative handling by the federal government, governors of states that comprise the zone and Igbo leaders of thought to avoid unnecessary escalation of the situation. But the arrogant, insensitive, and threatening comments by a few military officers and cowardly hasty condemnation by some prominent Ndigbo are disingenuous, because both sides are trivialising the key issues of marginalisation, exclusion and alienation raised by the Biafran agitators, which lie at the heart of the troublesome unresolved “national question”.

President Buhari

It must be pointed out that President Buhari’s apparent indifference to the concerns of Ndigbo, from the time he was military head of state, through when he was Chairman, Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund to now that he is President, constitutes part of the remote and immediate causes of the renewed agitation for Biafra. It would take a Eureka experience or epiphany for Buhari to change his attitude towards Ndigbo generally. It follows that, on the issue of security and containment of centrifugal ethnic irredentism, there is no noticeable positive change since May 29, 2015.

We now come to the issue of ministerial appointments, which has elicited considerable discussion for quite some time. To begin with, although the President and many Nigerians presume that merger of ministries would save money for the government, there is no conclusive proof to that effect – there is even a report which debunks that presumption. Basically, it is the approved budget that determines the expenditure profile of ministries, which implies that although power, works and housing are now under one ministry, for instance, instead of two or three ministries, budgetary allocation to the bloated new ministry must reflect the critical nature of the sectors under it, which are very capital intensive in nature. Thus, under separate ministries power, and works and housing may get smaller budgetary allocation collectively than now that they are lumped into one ministry.

The delay by President Buhari in constituting his cabinet is uncalled for, judging by the fact that the list, when it was finally made public, is overwhelmingly a roster of politicians with corruption allegations hanging on some of them and individuals who helped APC capture power from the PDP. Consequently, the claim by Garba Shehu that the President was taking his time to select the very best to work with is a shibboleth intended to explain away the prolonged high calibre “wheeling and dealing” by the major power blocks in APC to appropriate instruments of ministerial office as reward for their contributions to Buhari’s victory. Anyway, by nominating ministers without assigning them to ministries prior to screening by the Senate, President Buhari merely repeated the mistake of his predecessors and wasted a wonderful opportunity to improve the quality of legislative screening of the prospective ministers.

I think the President should have inaugurated a positive paradigm shift in ministerial appointment by attaching ministries to the ministerial nominees before sending the list to the Senate. Besides, there is nothing innovative or transformative in the President’s list. Indeed, like every ministerial appointment since the administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Buhari’s choice includes competent professionals and the-not-so-competent with questionable antecedents.  Meanwhile, President Buhari should have tried the novel approach of appointing ministers to ministries strictly in tandem with their professional and academic qualifications plus cognate experience, as in the ministries of justice and health invariably headed by a senior lawyer and medical practitioner respectively. Take the case of Babatunde Fashola, an attorney and immediate past governor of Lagos State, who is minister of power, works and housing.

The way I see it, the President’s amalgamation of power, works and housing in one ministry – three critical areas that require specialised technical knowledge and round-the-clock attention – is inappropriate: it constitutes an unnecessary burden for Fashola, which might create unintended problems with serious repercussions for service delivery. Some argue that, because a minister is the political head of a ministry whose major responsibility is to manage personnel and resources in the ministry, there is no advantage in appointing, say, an experienced electrical engineer to head the ministry of power or a geologist with strong academic background and practice in that field as minister of solid minerals, rather than someone whose academic qualifications and professional experience have very little connection with the ministry in question.

Sometimes, instances from established democracies such as the United States and the United Kingdom are paraded to demonstrate that a lawyer can perform well as minister of power or of works and housing. Those who belittle the importance of cognate academic and professional background for enhanced performance in the relevant ministries forget that a seasoned electrical engineer can possess similar managerial skills and emotional intelligence manifested by a lawyer who performed relatively well as minister of power, which implies that the engineer’s firsthand knowledge of technical issues connected to power generation, transmission and distribution is an added advantage for him as minister of power ministry when compared to the lawyer in the same post. In the formulation, evaluation and implementation of policies in science and engineering dominated ministries such as power, works and solid minerals, it is better to appoint someone with academic or professional qualifications and experience directly related to those ministries, especially in countries like Nigeria where institutions and traditions of public service have not advanced to the stage that specialist technical knowledge of the core issues dealt with by the ministries we mentioned above may not matter so much.

At this point, let us begin to harvest our thoughts. On the issue of fighting corruption, probably there is little improvement since President Buhari came into office because his anti-corruption reputation might have prevented some lily-livered public officials from stealing. But there is increasing recognition by the President himself, judging by his lamentations that corrupt judges and lawyers are hampering his war against corruption, that dealing with high calibre corruption cases is a very frustrating herculean task in a ramshackle democratic setting such as ours. In terms of inclusiveness from both the ethnic and gender perspectives, Nigeria has regressed since President Buhari assumed office: there is an unjustifiable lopsidedness in favour of Northerners and men in Buhari’s choice of his inner core of lieutenants. The management of our oil and gas sector is still characterised by mediocrity, financial rascality and cronyism. The security situation has not really improved since Goodluck Jonathan left office, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the December deadline President Buhari stipulated for the liquidation of Boko Haram cannot be met by the gallant Nigerian armed forces.

Of course, defeat of the PDP, albeit in a flawed election, is the best change that has happened since the return to civilian rule in 1999, because it has cut the megalomaniac arrogance of the former ruling party to smithereens. From now onwards, no political party will boast without serious consequences that it would rule the country uninterruptedly for decades come what may. I know that the Buhari government is still settling down, and some of the teething problems of the moment, if tackled with genuine patriotism and creative management of available resources, may be resolved soon. I am fully aware that as a dyed in the wool retired soldier and devout Muslim, it would not be easy for President Buhari to blend his entrenched somewhat inflexible habits of thought with the degree of mental flexibility needed to make our convoluted democratic system work without serious convulsions – he is a tiro or neophyte in democratic governance. To help the President, we must ignore the bunkum and sugary insipidities of sycophants and speak out whenever we have good reasons to believe that the federal government is derailing from its primary function of providing enabling environment for optimum unfolding of our productive powers in work, love and recreation.

Concluded.

What has changed since Buhari became President

KOGI ELECTION IMPASSE: Protests over Audu’s replacement

Protests rocked Kogi State, yesterday, following a report that a candidate had been picked by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Saturday’s governorship supplementary election outside Kogi East, dominated by Igala people where the Prince Abubakar Audu, the late candidate of the party, hailed from.

Abubakar Audu

The report had said, yesterday, that the APC leadership had picked Audu’s closest rival in the party’s primary ahead of the Kogi governorship election, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to replace the deceased in the supplementary election.

Separately, the APC leadership denied that the party had given the governorship ticket to Bello.

Bello is Ebira, from Kogi Central, while the Igala people are rooting for one of their own and Audu’s son, Mohammed, to pick the APC ticket.

Protesting youths of Igala extraction, yesterday, blocked River Benue Bridge, to drive home their demand that Igala should get the APC ticket.

They threatened to destroy the bridge at a location called Itobe.

There were similar protests in Ochadamu in Dekina Local Government Area and Idah.

Meanwhile, youths of Kogi West, under the aegis of Okun Youths Forum, cautioned against throwing the state into crisis on the grounds of a non-Igala emerging as the APC candidate for the supplementary election.

At press time, police were said to be battling to disperse the protesters who took over River Benue Bridge as they grew in number.

The protest caused traffic gridlock on both sides of the bridge as motorists could not proceed.

One of the leaders of the protesters said any attempt by the Ebira to take power through the backdoor would be vehemently rejected.

“We voted for the late Prince Abubakar Audu, an Igalaman. We didn’t vote for Yahaya Bello. Bringing in an Ebira man to replace an Igala will lead to chaos. The Okun and Ebira will need to wait for their time. APC should retrace its steps”, he said apparently referring to the purported nomination of Bello as the APC candidate.

 

Bonfires

At Ochadamu Junction leading to  Anyigba, the nerve centre of Igala commerce, bonfires were seen on the road.

Some youths were also sighed protesting on the streets of Anyigba, Ajaka, Abejukolo, Ankpa and Ogbonicha, the home town of  Audu.

The protest assumed riotous dimension at Idah where the youths were heard chanting, “No Mohammed Audu, no supplementary poll,” in their local dialect.

Also, the homes of those they claimed were trying to trade Igala interest were targeted by the protesters.

A leader of the youths told Sunday Vanguard  they will make Kogi ungovernable if Mohammed did not replace his late father as the APC governorship candidate.

 

Okun back Ebira

However, the Okun Youths Forum, warned against throwing the state into crisis just because a non-Igala was going to be governor for the first time in the history of Kogi, saying   the choice of  Bello was constitutional.

The group called on the Igala to wait till 2019 when they would have another democratic window to be governor.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard in Lokoja, the spokesman for the group, Adebayo Aaron, said Kogi is a collective enterprise belonging to three senatorial districts. He said the three districts are equal partners.

 

Alleged conspiracy

Also, yesterday, a chieftain of APC, Dr. Ohikere, warned the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, against  any act capable of setting the state on fire.

Ohikere, who was the Head of Media, Audu/Faleke Campaign, during a press conference  in Lokoja,  accused President Muhammadu Buhari of injecting what he described as a northern agenda  into the Kogi election.

Ohikere said the Presidency and APC leadership were fully aware of the law, that a running mate to a deceased candidate in an election should step in as the party’s flag bearer. “But it has been a grand conspiracy between the party leadership and the Presidency to ensure that a Muslim is used as a replacement to  the late Prince Abubakar Audu, who died on the 22 of November,” he said.

“The state will not only catch fire, but also the late Prince Audu will rise from the grave and unleash terror on anyone involved in this conspiracy.”

 

The APC rebuttal

In a related development, the APC leadership said, yesterday, it had not settled for Bello as replacement for Audu in the supplementary election, saying a decision will be taken tomorrow (Monday).

The Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Timi Frank, told Sunday Vanguard the APC was yet to decide on Audu’s replacement.

“We are still consulting on the issue. We would take a final stand on the issue of Audu’s replacement on Monday and we are definitely going to issue a statement on the issue”, he said.

KOGI ELECTION IMPASSE: Protests over Audu’s replacement

Nigerians are lamenting - Dele Momodu writes Buhari

Dele Momodu has written a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari asking him to as a matter of urgency fix Nigeria saying that Nigerians are lamenting that the change he promised is fast becoming a mirage and that Buhari’s style and methodology appear too slow.

Dele Momodu

He also went further to say that many mostly the oppotions want the government to fail saying that they were ‘skillfully setting the president up for failure in order to be able to taunt his supporters.’

Read the full memo bellow .

By Dele Momodu

Your Excellency, it’s been months since I wrote my desperate memo to you. I wish to thank you once more for reacting promptly and swiftly at that time and for giving me the honour and privilege of meeting you in your office. I remember presenting you a special compilation of my articles, especially the many admonitions to your immediate predecessor, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

After handing over the book to you, Sir, I promised to continue acting in my self-appointed capacity as Special Adviser because of the need to tell you what those very close to you might not be able to say. They might be afraid of you and your reaction.

The truth is you are a plain and simple man imbued with a mission and a passion to save this great country but you cannot do it on your own. You can only do it if people close to you, who should be advising you, tell you as it is so that you can do that which you were elected to do.

Sir, it is on the above basis that I’m back today for reasons some of which you probably know already from your own personal observations and readings. But before I go further, kindly permit me to set some records straight before some conspiracy specialists step forward to ascribe other people’s opinion to me. I shall clearly expose my personal views and state where I belong or stand for any avoidance of doubt. Everywhere I go people refer to me as Buhari’s man and ask “what’s your Baba doing ooo?”. I seriously have no problem with that. I’m proud that I joined so many other Nigerians as well as foreign friends in supporting a man of impeccable pedigree and solid integrity. No matter your view of President Muhammadu Buhari, one thing his bitterest enemies give to him is the fact that he is way above the level of most mortals in matters of uprightness.

This is why many of us volunteered to scream your name to high heavens and we were ready to follow you to Golgotha. Many of your opponents have not gotten over the thrashing you gave them and would forever seek everything and anything to smear you with. It is therefore not surprising that there has been so much noise about what you’ve done or left undone. Whether they are right or wrong in their assessment, I feel it is right and proper to let you know what people are saying about you including your most ardent fans and supporters. Sir, please, let’s not dismiss them as mere rabble-rousers. A groundswell of public opinion can easily metamorphose into an ocean of disenchantment and cataclysmic confusion. In short, I believe your enemies are skilfully setting you up for failure in order to be able to taunt your supporters later by saying we “we told you so!” In this regard it is pertinent to always bear in mind the Yoruba saying ‘ehin kunle l’ota wa, ile ni a se ni ngbe’! Loosely translated it means “the enemy lurk outside in the backyard but your foe resides inside your house.”

What is the matter this time? Many Nigerians are lamenting that the change you promised them is fast becoming a mirage. It is certainly not what they are seeing right now. They insist that your style and methodology appear too slow for a nation in dire straits and in need of urgent and miraculous deliverance. They are not happy that you are no longer the prudent man they used to know. They think you’ve already capitulated by frolicking with members of the bourgeois class and junketing around the world while Nigeria burns like Dante’s inferno. They are miffed that you are still keeping the Presidential fleet when you are supposed to have sold most of them off, if not all. They are worried that the mandate of four years they gave you is being unwittingly frittered away and before you know it all the goodwill you garnered would have evaporated and vamoosed. Time, they say, waits for no man!

The economy and the free fall of the Naira have become worrisome. There are all manner of rumours that may make matters worse, if true, about the current state and status of our banks. Though the Central Bank of Nigeria has come out forcefully to dispel the dangerous rumours, they want you to unleash your economic master-plan as soon as possible, so that what was once a baseless rumour does not somehow become harsh reality. They are expecting a blue-print that would guarantee a farewell to poverty. On this I agree with the opinion that something drastic has to be conjured up to arrest this drift to perdition. Nothing amplifies this monumental tragedy than the debit card fiasco which stipulates that Nigerians cannot live in a civilised world by walking into any international hotel or shop of their choice and paying with their cards. This is terribly depressing.

What this means in plain terms is that Nigerians must patronise the black market and run the risk of carrying cash recklessly whenever they travel abroad. It makes a mockery of the cashless society that the CBN has fought so hard to put in place and jeopardises your fight against corruption because government officials who travel abroad must of necessity carry large sums of cash if they are not to be embarrassed or even disgraced. Sir, the most important thing is that this is not healthy at all. The last thing your Government should be telling the world is that we are so broke that we are on our knees. The world laughs at us and treats us with derision because we have resources other than crude oil which should make us one of the richest in the world if we properly harness them. We must stop giving the impression that we are so impoverished when it is leadership, brigandage and a lack of focus that has failed us.

The other matter that continues to embarrass Nigerians is the issue of Boko Haram. The matter is made worse by the fact that you are a retired army General who should know and have what it takes to drastically reduce if not exterminate the cankerworm. But rather the menace has exacerbated. It has snowballed into a seemingly unquenchable conflagration. I had argued repeatedly that the military alone cannot achieve this result. Intelligence seems to be the key word here. Also identifying and locating some of the cells and prominent sympathisers is crucial. Those who arrogantly and naively say that no form of negotiation should take place are very far from the theatre of war. They have probably not heard of a group called IRA, the Irish Republican Army, that terrorised Great Britain for God knows how many years. I and my directors at Ovation International were lucky to escape a massive explosion that shattered the peace and tranquillity of London Docklands when a bomb went off inside the South Quay light rail station which was next to our office at Beaufort Court. The battle of wits and the war of attrition had to be fought using the carrot and the stick approach. It was the carrot approach that eventually succeeded and the United Kingdom has now been rid of that hitherto interminable scourge for many years!

The Boko Haram issue has defied every effort made so far and it is time to expand the options for the sake of our fellow citizens in the heart of this conundrum. When over 200 girls vanished into thin air, we were so sure they would return very soon but that has remained an illusion. This should tell us that this issue is not a joke and that we need to keep all windows open. Sir, Nigerians want to see government show a different approach and better compassion than what we had in the past. They are waiting to see how you will do this with minimum collateral damage.

Sir, you have a herculean task ahead but it is not a mission impossible. Other nations are experiencing almost similar challenges and they are forging ahead. The first indicator to exhibit our seriousness is when we stop the business as usual syndrome and tighten the belts of government officials and politicians. If the idea is to continue along the path of profligacy then Nigeria is contagiously jinxed. The Republic of Tanzania has already taken the lead. I will publish a report that has already gone viral below this letter as a veritable example of what is possible.

I wish you well as always Sir.

Nigerians are lamenting - Dele Momodu writes Buhari

Gunmen kidnap 78 year-old Mrs. Abiante in Rivers State

Information reaching us says over 15 heavily-armed gunmen Saturday night kidnapped 78 year-old Mrs. Mabel Abiante, in her residence at Ngo, headquarters of Andoni local government of Rivers State.

Mrs. Abiante was kidnapped at about 8.50pm while watching television in her sitting room. She had closed from her shop at about 8.30pm.

Eyewitnesses narrated that the gun men, who shot sporadically, had positioned some of their men around the house while others moved into the sitting room where they whisked Mrs. Abiante away.

The gun men were, however, challenged by one of Mrs. Abiante’s daughters who was home when they struck. But her efforts did nothing to stop the gunmen who used the butts of their gun on her head and right hand leaving her with swollen body..

The kidnappers made their escape through a side of the Ngo River close to the Abiante family house.

They were yet to make contacts with the family as at the time of this report.

Gunmen kidnap 78 year-old Mrs. Abiante in Rivers State