What a week!
By Mideno Bayagbon
What a week it has been. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, lifts the ban on political campaigns and a flurry of events descend like stormy weather on the nation. Abuja, the political capital, assumes its toga and from its crannies, events, spring up by the minute, competing and trying to outdo one another.
Though the real campaigns are yet to kick off and hit the streets and capitals of the 36 states and Abuja, the shadow boxing, and sizing up are assuming a frenzied note. The social media war is awash with proponents and opponents of the main candidates manufacturing stories, clothing them in the garb of authenticity and daring Nigerians to swallow them without questions. Fake news is a Nigerian social media rat.
Nevertheless, in the cacophony of voices, some events stand out. For example, the handlers of the President hearing that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was proposing a social media launch of his campaign promises’ handbook, Sunday into Monday, short circuits it, gathers APC party faithful and out comes President Buhari’s second term bid campaign slogan and handbook: The Next Level. Like is common with the Buhari handlers, military and security chieftains also show their loyalty by personally attending the political event before a clear head notices, and knowing the implications, asks them to take the back door out. But the media and the opposition were not deceived.
The main opposition candidate, not wasting time, launches via social media and the traditional media his 45 campaign promises and policy document to critical reviews.
Nevertheless, the coup de grace, the personality and event that would have stolen the thunder of the week appears to be the avalanche of book launches which invaded the whole capital city on Tuesday, the public holiday to mark the birth of Prophet Mohammed.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan draws the cream of the society into Abuja to launch his My Transition Hours book which chronicles the events leading to and after he had to concede defeat to General Muhammadu Buhari. The event also was to celebrate his 61st birthday.
In another part of town, one of my favourite politicians and indeed Nigerian, the father of modern day Akwa Ibom state, Obong Victor Attah, was celebrating his 80th birthday with a book launch.
Not to be left out, Okwadike! Ex governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife, also 80, too was in a celebratory mood and not to be outdone, he also had a book which his friends and family gathered to launch. Fine birthday dinner and all the works were also on board.
Abuja was the place to be that Tuesday. No one who is anyone, in Nigeria, and was absent in any of the three mega events, can really be regarded as part of the power bloc or as we say here, as being part of the movers and shakers of the land.
In the three events, there was no way of distinguishing what political divide each of the participants belonged.The political juggernauts, wheelers and dealers in the Nigerian estate, easily floated from one event to the other, hugging, back slapping and generally enjoying themselves.
This was at a time, as it turned out, the so called degraded Boko Haram terrorists were forcefully invading villages in Borno state, kidnapping girls and women and unleashing ferocious deaths; flooding the land with innocent blood. But by far their act that draws the greatest angst is the killing , of some say, hundreds of Nigerian soldiers including a commanding officer, a colonel.
Ordinary Nigerians, whose sons and daughters and relations have been slaughtered, are seething with anger. But it takes the army almost a week to comment on the decimation of his officers and men while the president’s condemned silence was only broken last Saturday when he belatedly condemned the renewed aggressions of the terrorists, while trying, unconvincingly, to mourn the sad deaths.
Of course, truly Nigerian scenarios have evolved. The opposition lashes on the agonising news and goes to town berating and painting the President in colours of incompetence. On the other hand, blind support for the President’s uncanny silence, sees his supporters throwing darts at the Atiku camp accusing it of using his ill advised strategy session in Dubai to hold meetings with ISIS and other terrorists groups. Otherwise reasonable men, blinded by partisanship, buoyed by dollar and naira, throw all known etiquette into the dustbin and reach into the depth of infamy to conjure up all sorts of nonsense in the name of playing politics and supporting their candidates. Gladiators on both sides are guilty.
AS the political landscape gets heated up, and at a time like this, one would be forgiven if one comes to the conclusion that Nigerians, having seemingly not learnt their lessons, are cursed.
But it is not far fetchedto come to a perspicacious understanding of why the most oppressed, the most wretched part of our population, are the easiest target of manipulation of our thieftricians. We already know too that the poorest segment of our society is the most hilarious, that is apart from their being the most prodigious in the bedroom. The baffling aspect of it is that, though, they are the most pauperised, the most afflicted by the misgovernance of ourthieftricians who masquerade as political leaders, their tolerance, nonchalance and acquiescence, which over time, have been their undoing, is now fully on display again. We seemingly have learnt nothing. We march, blind folded by our stupid and ethnic and religious bigotry,to our golgotha again.
it is difficult not to missGani Fawehinmi and Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
OBONG VICTOR ATTAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, UYO
One of the redeeming news, during the week, is the renaming of the Uyo international airport after the gentleman architect of modern
Akwa Ibom state development, Obong Victor Attah. As governor, Obong Attah did all in his power to transform Akwa Ibom state, especially Uyo, the state capital into a beautifully planned and built city. With the Uyo masterplan which he personally designed, the architect governor so turned Uyo around, opening up all its arteries through well paved roads and drainages, that all his successor needed to have done was to build on and improve on it.
His physical legacy projects include the the 18 hole golf course, the five star Ibom Meridien hotel, the Ibom Tropicana and Uyo International Airport.
