By Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr
I am compelled by the deluge of calls and messages to return to, and conclude this series. An effort that is more altruistic than personal, more patriotic than partisan, after all I am just the Convener of COUNTRYFIRST MOVEMENT and not a member of any political party presently, and this effort is set to put the facts right.
To those who must brand and label this effort, may I quickly add that I am a PROUD WAILER and may God Forbid I hail a manifestly incompetent and mediocre watch. Nigeria shall outlive the present low where the District Head of the President’s home town is missing for weeks, and some do not think it is reprehensible and underscores incompetency. Where human barbecues are dished across the country by bandits, villains, insurgents, rustlers and herdsmen, and some validate the present insecurity by referring to the past that was trounced at the polls in 2015. Do you yet wonder why the 2019 election was manifestly a rejection of the 2014/15 CHANGE that metamorphosed into a ONE-CHANCE VOYAGE? History will vindicate us.
That insensitive and ill-timed piece, ‘PMB’s second term: There’s no stopping us now, we’re on the move – Femi Adesina’, one replete with ego and arrogance berths a NEXT LEVEL that largely wears the same garb as the past 4years. Almost two weeks after the swearing in of President Mohammadu Buhari for a new term, no appointments have been made, not even the appointment of a new Chief of Staff or the retention of Saint Abba Kyari.
Who will tell Egbon Femi Adesina that Buhari is still the same, always unprepared, apparently lacking in capacity, clearly incompetent, and obviously mediocre at best? Or is he immured to Truth?
Remember that obtuse 1st paragraph of the infamous piece in reference. “Those who were young (men-about-town) in the 80s will remember the 1979 hit track by McFadden & Whitehead, titled Ain’t no stopping us now. The lyrics goes thus:
Ain’t no stopping us now!
We’re on the move!
Ain’t no stopping us now!
We’ve got the groove!”.
Can a man/woman who is manifestly lethargic in thought and action truly show the way? How will they set the ship of State on sail/move with perpetual blame games? Can a man/woman/car move forward with the eyes fixed on the reverse/rear gear/mirror?
On the famed INTEGRITY OF MAI GASKIYA (The Honest Man) and his efforts to put Nigeria back on the part to greatness, for which in Adesina’s words Citizen Saint Buhari has sought a return to power since 2003, need I say that our nation has not witnessed such pretense to integrity and decency as scripted and represented by President Buhari. So many of us were fooled, some out of pride, prejudice and ego have refused to wise up, and some for partisan gain have chosen to defend the indefensible by redefining albeit in the breach profoundly settled norms, values and normative. But this period will also pass.
The one lacking in honesty and integrity who occupies Aso Rock villa today comes barer when you confront my Colleagues and Comrades with the question, ‘what really, was Buhari doing with us in PRONACO (Pro National Conference Organizations)? Is it not obvious today that he never believed in the SOVEREIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE which was the initiative PRONACO stood for. Was it politricks for him? Was it some deceit and chicanery woven for power? We sure truly underestimated the ability of the man Buhari to outperform scam acts. But this period will also pass.
Indeed a studied appraisal of the moment compels a recall of the inimitable words of Abraham Lincoln, made more popular by the great Bob Marley to wit, ‘you can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.’ The chicken is speedily coming home to roost, for truth is a scourge to falsehood, and the lifespan of propaganda is short, even shorter is the lifespan of hypocrisy and falsehood.
Those that Citizen Femi Adesina referred to as the confederate of the pernicious, the corrupt, those prone to indiscipline, false Prophets, haters and looters, were largely the brigade that Buhari begged, sought for and craved their support in 2014/2015. Some of them funded and supported Saint Buhari, and some of us deserted him when it became obvious that Sai Magaskiya, apologies to Shakespeare ‘was/is full of sound and fury, signifying…’, fill in the space and you will be damn right. Or how do you explain the fact that corruption has a new meaning in Nigeria, where a political thief is pro Buhari he/she becomes a Saint, where he/she opposes Buhari, then one is adjudged kwarupt (corrupt) by the EFCC, Buhari, his Deens and the pro Buhari elements in the media. And such is the new colour of integrity, indeed hypocrisy and integrity share a common zygote in Buhari’s Nigeria. But this shall also pass.
I am not a fan of Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, not because I think he is a bad man, but because he failed to appropriate the full plenitude of divine grace on his life to fix Nigeria. He did his bit, he didn’t give his best. But I will not stand by and watch the Spokesperson of a manifestly incompetent and mediocre President refer derogatorily to OBJ as a ‘Letter Writer’. Without equivocation OBJ at several points in our history has spoken truth to power, sometimes to the detriment of his life and well-being. OBJ’s Otta and Abeokuta homes were a Mecca of sorts in 2014/15 to those who call him names today. They hailed his LETTER to Jonathan, and repudiate the ones to the ‘infallible god’ called Buhari. And you wonder what more defines hypocrisy. But this period will also pass.
Those who defend Buhari have a penchant for passing the buck. They blame everyone but Buhari himself for where we are. After 4years that broken record/tune is yet to abate. They are still laying foundation. They are still building bridges. They are still fighting corruption, funny lots. They loot and share monies to get their loyalists to head the National Assembly, that is not corruption but Party Supremacy. They shared Trader Moni to buy votes, it is politics. The Social Investment and Empowerment Fund Scam have been reported by no less a person than the wife of The Commander-in-Chief Aisha Buhari, and she does not have the facts they insist. Lives and property are lost daily, and they refer us to Jonathan. Hunger and unemployment quadruples and they blame everyone else but the present. Suicide is the present fad, obviously the comeuppance of frustration, depression and the anxiety that the moment throws up, and they say we are liars, haters and wailers. But this will also pass.
They say they won the election with almost 4million votes, I also read that in Femi Adesina’s piece. Hmm, can’t those who mouth integrity be truthful for once. Are they ignorant of the fact that the infamy of Maurice Iwu’s INEC have since been canonized and beatified by the subterfuge and malfeasance of Mahmoud Yakubu’s INEC? Don’t they know that the last General election has the highest number of election petitions in our nation’s history? And does it not matter that our people are increasingly losing faith in the electoral process? This will also pass.
Typical of the present watch, the manifest false starts of the Buhari NEXT LEVEL is being defended by his deens with shameless narrative and invectives. They shut down AIT/Raypower and seek to stifle Free Press, and they lie against their present neurotic punch-bag Goodluck Jonathan, they even named media houses closed before Jonathan became President as closed by him, in order to validate the present wrong. And I ask, why does this government and her supporters have a penchant for validating her wrongs with the pass. Are we living in the past? For what reason did they sell CHANGE to us, if they were not going to be different? Is the NEXT LEVEL going to be replete with more lies, deceit, propaganda and blame game?
We WAIL not out of hate, but because we want something new and positive in governance, and such is the hope that sustains us whilst waiting for the Judiciary to decide on who truly won the 23 February, 2019 Presidential election.
Finally, in whatever side of the divide you find yourself, one challenge common to all is the quest for a Country that works, where life and property is safe, and where the citizenry can thrive and pursue happiness, if I am right, then we must all learn to call a spade a spade, and challenge leadership to responsible and responsive action, for only then can we berth the nation of our dreams. And don’t forget that justice, equity and fairness, and no other is key to peace, unity, brotherhood and oneness.
To the Bridge Dear Compatriots. BLESSEDNESS.
▪ Nwaokobia Jnr {CMN JNR}.
Convener COUNTRYFIRST MOVEMENT
