HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
May 29, 2007 Contemplating addressing you, Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, as 'Your Excellency" in this essay is a difficult one, dear 'President-elect'; I don't know whether it's appropriate to so address you with due respect. But on another thought I believe you merit to be so addressed because you are the out-going elected Governor of Katsina State. At least on that score you deserve being called 'Your Excellency' but on the Federal level with 'K-leg'. The April 14 and 21 guber and presidential polls that produced you and other 'governors-elect' like Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo, Andy Uba of Anambra and Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun, Osehreimein Osunbor of Edo and others as the 'winners' broke every record of a flawed damned election as testified to by international and local observers in their unity. Your so-called election was more of a presidential award on a platter by an out-going morbidly fearful president who desperately sought to cover his atrocities while wielding power in his overbearing best elements. As President Umar Yar'Adua and others get 'coronated' today May 29th 2007 it is not their tainted manipulated mandates that concern yours sincerely most here; rather it's the very fact that the Owu Chief is quitting the presidency when the ovation is at its lowest ebb. Obasanjo has become associated withy every bad news in Nigeria symbolising everything bad with Nigeria: corruption, leadership ineptitude and irresponsibility and infrastructural decay. Obasanjo is bad news for Nigeria! That he is finally leaving today after attempting treasonably to smuggle a third term agenda into our constitution calls for celebration; a celebration ocassioned by the new pair of graduate hands on top of power and not necessarily the radical changes Yar'Adua and Jonathan will bring to bear on national leadership. Since President Yar'Adua had said that he is not interested in probing OBJ's administration he has unwittingly enboldened Obasanjo who had engaged in all sorts of last-minute profligacy, jamboree of contract awards and crucial appointments. Armed with guaranteed 'immunity' after stepping down Obasanjo decided to 'reward' loyal aides, cronies, family members and other mistresses and political 'sons' before he made his way to Ota. Instead of tidying up things for the in-coming government with legitimacy problems OBJ was behaving as though handover of power today is ceremonial in nature. But come to think of it: that in essence to me is the spirit behind 'anointing' and 'do or die' general elections. As UMY and other governors get 'coronated' from Abuja to Awka, Ibadan to Benin City those so 'coronated' will not shout 'Halleluyah' as yet because rigging cases against them in the Election Petition Tribunals have not been heard and disposed of. And I know a lot of them will be swept out of power weeks or days after their 'coronation'. As Uba, OBJ's anointed 'son' east of the Niger, Alao-Akala, Adedibu's man Friday and Prof Osunbor, OBJ's in-law and others from east to west, up north down south occupy the government houses in their various state capitals anxiety and apprehension will definitely be their portion. Power without the people's popular mandate is akin to a poison chalice. Those presenting themselves for the offer may have death to contend with in the long run! Yar'Adua's ability (or inability) to stand up to Obasanjo as the life Chairman of PDP's BOT and disappoint him if need be will go a long way to asserting him as an independent President and not a stooge as we all see him now. He will equally, by so doing, disappoint some of us who are skeptics but vociferous and united in condemning evil in whichever form or shape. Since we have no other nation to call home but Nigeria it's our duty to confront dictatorship and battle it to submission. With Obasanjo giving Nigerians a parting gift in form of petrol pump price increase (an insensitive measure that affects other petroleum products including kerosene) Yar'Adua will be welcomed to the hot seat with barrage of demands and grievances by organized labour. The way and manner he resolves the crisis in the petroleum sector and power generation will go a long way in establishing his authority in a nation where the people are fed up with empty promises of politicians and huge graft by those in higher authorities. However something in me keeps telling me that Yar'Adua may make a good President. Good president unlike his predecessor whose overbearing impervious mien messed up the whole political scene in the last eight odd years. Like the newly-installed French President Monsieur Nicholas Sarkozy's campaign slogan 'Ensemble Tout Devient Possible', that is Together Everything Becomes Possible everything could become possible in our case if we are united. Though we have our grievances over the April 21 presidential poll and the tainted mandate Yar'Adua possess it is normal that we extend our suport to him for him to succeed in his mission. Best of luck Umar. May your time and days in power never be like those of Shagari. May Allah keep you and grant you the wisdom to do the right thing for your country, your people! ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
