50 years still! THE IRATIONALITY OF OUR PRUDENT APPRAISAL
But Tis the Season for “Hope” diddling
86 % Fahrenheit, chance of rain, with about a 20% odds of precipitation, it’s what the weatherman says Friday (Independence? day) will be. Without a speck of ambiguity, no expense will be spared in the predictable supposition. The bona fide Nigerian way predicts such; it has been for 50 years, as expected like the “forecasts that tomorrows atmospheric predicament guarantees”. A predicament (for reasons known to all) made more somber, taking into account that we will actually be celebrating.
Abuja and other acquiescing squares and arenas will for sure be commonly tuned to our contradictory circumstances and our actualities. We might be treated across the states to larger than life anniversary gala and larger than life glorifications.
If my reminiscence serves me precisely, being a boarder (living within the school compound of my secondary school), a “Government College” to be precise, offered very little break from the daily monotony, between dodging psychopathic “senior boys”, navigating the various blurry social rules, codes and shoddily implemented rules and regulations, one of those hiatus from this nonetheless monotony, involved a visit to Liberty Stadium, a 25,000 seat “first in Africa” glory. The memories in 1970,s still etched in my Ministration.
Independence? Day, Yes! Independence? Day, the few chosen got to march in front of the governor, the rest of us, an opportunity to mingle and seek out familiar faces, buy condiments and a spend the “pocket money”. The location itself, almost monumental, a glance at the preciseness (so we thought) of the various military personnel marching to military tunes, that of course was then.
What was then great, now mediocre, so goes my high school, a symbol of what was than what is! The stadium itself, never progressing beyond memory, a stack reminder of then, not now, another what was and not what will.
Tomorrow (Oct 1st), one governor (or two) might want to outdo the other in the typical “we spared no expense” narration. Hopeless, callous and “diddling”, the aggregate will throng out in their numerousness, powerless to actualize anything significant pertinent to their real position in a 21st century scheme of things.
A century just 10 years old ready to fast forward at the speed of a bullet train, as we stride along like a horse pulled carriage. The weather will be anticipated tomorrow (Independence? Day), but that’s about all that can be assured and that alone will surmise, together with the exaltation of the occasion. Friday October 1st however, will pass, reality will set in.
The pastiche, which started earlier, will continue in earnest, faking us out like it was electioneering, bribery and coercion masquerading as barnstorming, selection masquerading as canvassing,
Ballot stuffing as vote counting, the confab has begun, the partakers in full force. The tired enfeebled hand-me-down back at it, mostly old, some new faces too. So now comes 2010, probably 2011,
A wrong from the past, Ebele (A new face to match), the soft spoken Ijaw, righting a wrong from the past, A compelling argument one might add, especially the soft spoken one delays but grabs his brass gonads nonetheless at a time of his own chosen. Deals a confusing but pragmatic knock out to the mostly adventurous military heads, casualty number one, service chiefs, casualty number two, garrison commanders and intelligence heads, Bravo, we cannonade!
Takes decisive steps, before the brouhaha simmers, he disappoints predictably with the deft but credibility damaging political moves. How else to define the appointment of a complete failure of a governor to
Co-head his campaign. A governor who decides to bankrupt his state with a few months left in office, brazen enough to ask for a N100 billion Bond, “That would be N100 billion” with a few months left in office. Tunji Egbetokun, the legal speaker of the Ogun state house had this to say
“I have been personally offered goodies which I refused. I have been offered N12 million for a single meeting by one of their peacemakers. e have been offered N1 billion but I have said that they should allow a single debate on all the issues in contention on the Bond and I can assure them that we will move straight from the venue of the debate to plenary and pass it if we are convinced. We should have an open debate. Let them sit with us and we will bow to superior argument”
A governor with this shadow is now a co head for Ebele GOODLUCK 2011, our big yawn follows.
As we speak, our great Ogun state has no parliament, the conversation impoverished in intrigues to become president.
A 2 ½ day visit to the United Nations gets saddled with hundreds of influence and freebie seeking hangers. 150 DELEGATES TO BE EXACT. This is with “GOODLUCK” yet to be elected.
His wife displays all the predictable charade of previous first ladies. Another big “yawn” follows. Now people are leaping, FAINTING over for “PATIENCE RICE”. Again, the buying versus the convincing.
Then “Maradona” broadsides us with his tenacity, goes on to CNN and tells us to strangle him, his security might prevent us the joy.
Here are a few questions for the gap toothed one? DEAR GENERAL?
Can you de-institutionalize 419?
Why didn’t you take the kooky Kanuri with you when you left on august 27th?
Will you convince Kunle”I swear in the name of the living god” Togun & Halilu Akilu to take lie detector test?
Why are you seeking an election when you annulled one, will you annul yourself?
After closing over 40 news outlets using decree 4, why bring this same to hilltop for stuffed envelopes?
Can he offer an antidote to our “corruption” that he put on steroids?
Will the evil one, blaze us, his discountenance of Oputa?
The musical chairs take us to the executor of Ogedengbe, Ojuolape and Owoh.
A third degree for the peerless of Katsina,
Would we all have to be subservient to Sharia?
What was the deal with Ajasin and Solarin?
Are you a Manchurian candidate who would use retro laws to execute the innocent?
Will Sharia allow us the freedom that secularism has allowed?
Do you think the “Suitcase” affair compromised your Peerlessness sir?
Can we criticize you and not get imprisoned or “dealt with”?
We await the affiance of Soyinka, Ribadu, Pat Utomi.
The bukky of Kwara deserves a mention, as Erastus the 13th apostle has dropped a bombshell in his bid to deflect. Smoke without fire? His bid to reclaim intercontinental.
In regards our 2010 (or 2011) this will not be season to be a pacifist. As the political musical chair infuses, our civic duty beckons our conscientious participation. Good luck (really this time) to the courteous, honest and civilized.
To the violent and unreasonable, we’ll meet you at the battle front.
Happy electionee
ring.
I gaze tomorrow with the same feeling as most, be over and done with.
HAPPY 50TH? NOT REALLY
