Nigeria’s Senate Presidency And A Whiff Of Corruption

So we should let a corrupt adult person, who had been stealing from his own people for years and thereby denying them progress and development, be a top leader who will be making life and death decisions affecting our well-being, because he’s not perfect. Well, OK then, why don’t we forgive an armed robber because he’s not perfect too?

Of course, you will reap what you sow. Put a corrupt man in power and sooner of later, he will show his hands and will soon get his penalty. His past will catch up with him. The evil that men do lives after them, David Mark’s name sake, Marc Antonio, said.

No, “Honourable” Senators!! Nobody is trying to destabilise the Senate. You have already accomplished that by yourselves, by electing one of the least credible of yourselves to the highest post in your normally revered house.

Simply, on the face of all these allegations of corruption when he was a Minister and State Governor, David Mark seems unfit to be the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whichever way you look at it. This is not a smear campaign or a plan to destabilise anything. It is his dark past now catching up with him, his hidden skeletons now threatening to spill out of the closet. His mere presence in the Senate and as the Senate President itself is enough destabilisation of not only your (dis)honourable house, but the whole country, if you ask me.

If he and his supporters think otherwise, let him come out and defend himself convincingly. You owe the Nigerian people.

Matters Arising: Atiku and the Jefferson Indictment.

Now that Congressman William Jefferson has been properly indicted by a US Grand Jury, albeit, deliberately done so after the Nigerian Elections, what will our erstwhile Vice-President do? What explanations will his acolytes in the Action Congress give us, or the Atiku Campaign Organisation (even after the elections) say about this? The chicken has come home to roost. Obasanjo and Nuhu Ribadu are close to being vindicated, isn’t it? When they were saying that Atiku was corrupt, Obasanjo’s opponents were saying that these were trumped up charges because he does not want Atiku to become the President. Why should Atiku consider the Presidency to be his birthright anyway? Now, the shit has hit the fan. And the evidence is now coming out. Though his name was not specifically mentioned in Jefferson’s indictment, we all know who was referred to in the indictment as “a top Nigerian official”, don’t we?

He has countered this by saying he was a victim of a “419” scam. This is very laughable. Atiku, the Vice President of Nigeria was a 419 victim. Sir, I find that very difficult to believe. What did they defraud you of? How did they do it to a whole VP of a country? How could you be so gullible? How much did they defraud you of?

Atiku is still undergoing some kind of therapy for a broken toe, weeks after the elections, first in Germany, then the UK and now in the US. I always said it, the man has a knack of travelling out of Nigeria when something is about to burst him open. The word in the papers is that the former VP will return to Nigeria soon and continue to pursue his election petition. He might return to Nigeria but I strongly doubt that he will pursue his petition. I think it is his aides who are now making all the noises giving the impression that all is still well. They know if the man sinks, some of them are also sunk.

And now that those failed AD politicians and disgruntled former PDP politicians he sponsored in the AC have got what they want in various capacities, (and some failed to get what they wanted) they are abandoning him to his fate. That tells you a lot about the murky waters of Nigerian politics. But the man is still fighting. And fighting he must, else he might find himself in prison as a result of Jefferson’s indictment, corruption charges, breach of trust, etc. No more immunity from prosecution and the chances are that he may even be extradited from his Potomac palace to a prison in Abuja.

Moral of the story is: The President of a country is bigger than the Vice President, no matter how influential and powerful the VP may think he is. That is why you are a Vice. The Vice or Deputy is not the real thing, not the real McCoy. Loyalty to your President is essential to your own personal political existence and survival; otherwise, you will find yourself eating dirt.

Let’s see how this pans out. Them what has, gets.

Vagabonds in Power (VIP) in Oyo State?

My home state of Oyo is in one hell of a mess, (and that’s putting it very mildly) and I really don’t know how we will get out of it. I normally would not like to comment on the state of affairs in that God-forsaken state, where anything resembling democracy, good governance, rule of law, progress and development has been eluding us for the past 8 years, if not more. My ex-teacher, Lam Adesina was a disaster, Rasheed Ladoja was a calamity, and from all indications, Adebayo Alao-Akala will be a catastrophe. And who suffers from these power play, corruption, neglect, poverty, etc? The people of Oyo State and directly and indirectly, all Nigerians.

People may not realise it, but anything that happens in any of our 36 states and Federal Capital Territory affect ALL Nigerians. So don’t think that because you are from Bayelsa State, what happens in Borno State is not your concern. It does. We are all in it together, and we will all suffer together.

But I think the truth will out one day and nemesis will catch up with all those denying Nigerians their freedom from poverty, denying us progress, good health, good education, food and water, etc. This is as certain as night and day.

Politics, or should I say, Nigerian politics, is like a magnet. It attracts everything and everybody. It attracts thieves, sycophants, opportunists, ragamuffins, intellectuals, true patriots, the ignorant, well-meaning people, all thrown into the same cauldron. Normally, this should make a good mix, but no, not in Nigeria, because the undesirables who go into politics far outnumber the desirables, and if they are in the same cauldron, the undesirables will get the upper hand. This is exactly what is happening to us. Some schools of thought said we should accommodate everybody, all strange bedfellows in one bed, because politics is a game of numbers. From personal experience, this is not possible. There are far too many devils eating from the same pot than the saints. After a time, the saints will not be given a chance to express themselves, and it will all go the way of the devils. Trust me. If it is the other way round, we are likely to have a chance, however, I don’t think saints should be eating from the same pot, or sleeping on the same bed as devils in the first place.

But there we have it. Nigerians have been eating with the devils for a long time, and getting rid of them is nigh impossible. These agents of corruption and the consequent suffering of my people will not let go easily.

It is either them or us. Nigerians have got to rise up against them with the ultimate force. For me, I can’t afford to let them win. We need a few good men (and women)!

And with several ex-Governors who have lost their immunity on the run, isn’t that vindication time for Obasanjo and Nuhu Ribadu? And what do we have here? Ex-Inspector General of Police Sunday Ehindero is actually more corrupt than ex-IGP Tafa Balogun? Wonders will never cease. And you tell me the “rule of law” should apply to these corrupt people who have made their people suffer? Not on your life.

Readers Feedback to “The Illusions and Delusions of Nigerians in Diaspora”

It would be ungrateful and irresponsible of me not to appreciate the numerous readers who take the time and effort to read my articles and then actually take the effort to write me with their feedback, comments, criticisms and advice. My last article was the one that has attracted the most feedback and I would like to thank the over 120 readers who sent emails to me. I replied all of them, and some have become friends.

Such readers give me hope, they encourage me and they let me know that I am not writing nonsense. They also demonstrated and confirmed my faith in Nigeria, because they are true and patriotic Nigerians. I have also learnt from them. These great readers and commentators span the world, United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and Germany. I had feedback from Nigerians living in Hong Kong, Taiwan, France, Russia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mexico (he said he is a Mexican-born Nigerian); Thailand, South Africa, Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, and a brother from Iceland.

From these alone, people might say Nigerians are in Diaspora, contrary to my opinion and writing, but fortunately for me, all these readers confirmed that they regard themselves as Nigerians living abroad temporarily, and just trying to make a living for themselves and their families, and they intends to go back, not only to live in Nigeria, but to help develop the country in anyway they can, despite all the obvious obstacles they will encounter.

It also shows that Nigeriaworld and Nigeria Today Online are truly international journals that reach Nigerians everywhere in the world and their readership consist of enlightened Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike who would have their opinions one way or the other and have the interest of their motherland at heart. Kudos to the publishers of these fine news media.

Many thanks, brothers and sisters. Like you said,” we are all in it together”.