By Dele Sobowale
“They came forth to war; but, they always fell.” James Macpherson, 1736-1796.
James Macpherson was the father of Sir John Macpherson — the second to the last Governor General of Nigeria. His observation about groups which perpetually engage in losing battles because they fail to alter their approach is important as Igbos face a new engagement. I found the book from which the statement was lifted very illuminating. It is also pertinent to the latest quest for Igbo Presidency in 2023—which I totally endorse. It needs to be repeated that from the time late Dr Alex Ekwueme was schemed out of the Presidency by the military on their way out in 1998, no Igbo candidate has had a chance. Other Nigerians had been responsible; so have the Ndigbo.
Many of our readers would recall the loud noise for Igbo Presidency coming from former Abia State Governor – Orji Uzor Kalu – from 1999 until 2002. A visit from late Stella Obasanjo to Kalu’s mother was all it took for Kalu to switch. When Ekwueme tried his luck again in the Peoples Democratic Party’s primary, Abia State’s delegation led by Kalu was the first to vote against him. I mention this event not to embarrass Kalu but to point out that Igbo Presidential candidates need the total support of their people first; and then, they must reach out to the rest of us. Total Igbo vote will not secure victory as the almost total support of the South East for Jonathan have demonstrated in 2015 and 2019.
Unfortunately, with less than two years to go for the 2023 elections, there is very little sign of the outreach. Starting today, any candidate who does not begin the tough task of building structures in 36 states, 774 Local Government Councils and about 6023 Wards nationwide is placing himself at a competitive disadvantage. Yet, for strategic reasons which I don’t want to disclose, Igbo candidates are better positioned to achieve that breakthrough than even my brother in Yorubaland who is now assumed to be a candidate. They can make waves at the grassroots which will surprise their opponents. I obtained this insight from living and working in the four corners of Nigeria; and from travels to at least 30 states over a span of thirty-five years. But, since it was my stated personal policy not to get involved in politics, there was no opportunity to deploy the strategy in favour of any Presidential candidate.
Apart from getting out and meeting with others, they must be sensitive to those non-Igbos who are sympathetic to their cause and promote the interest from passive to active support. Permit me to give an example. I was in the Adamawa Governor’s House in late 2006, paying him a courtesy call and requesting for assistance to get to Gembu at the Manbilla Plateau when former Akwa Ibom Governor was ushered in by security men. Victor Attah was still a candidate for President. In his entourage were six people known to me. They were Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Berom and Tiv. He also recruited one person well-known from among the ethnic groups in the state. After the Governor, he was going to pay a courtesy call on the Lamido. But, Attah was astute enough to know that he could not go there with all Ibibio entourage. He wanted to be the Nigerian President; he had to start with the composition of his campaign team. It must be national.
The reason for the call for a blended campaign team should be self-evident. But, just in case, one trending event should help to drive the point home. When a Yoruba political leader and possible Presidential candidate unfolded part of his manifesto by promising to create 50 million jobs for youths, later changed to 5 million jobs, an Igbo candidate can deploy his Yoruba team member to send a more scathing rejoinder without being accused of tribalism. Another candidate from the North Central is also in the race. One of his brothers could ask him to forget it – and receive the flak that will necessarily result from the call. The Non-Igbo members will constitute the “shock absorbers” from the rivals’ attacks.
In that connection, I must register a personal complaint. Ever since I started the campaign for Igbo Presidency 2023, several friends from other ethnic groups have challenged me to name an Igbo candidate and tell Nigerians why they should consider the candidate. I started with Okonjo-Iweala – who is now out of the race. Then a long time acquaintance announced his interest. Anxious to promote him, I scrapped the article scheduled for the Sunday after his declaration of interest. Instead, the article was about the candidate. A few of our colleagues at Oregun, still alive and reading SUNDAY VANGUARD, called me to express appreciation for supporting our friend. Till today, I have not heard from the candidate; who it was my intention to help establish his national communication network. I don’t know why. But, it is my fervent hope that ethnicity had nothing to do with it. And that brings me to my second piece of advice to all candidates. Grasp all the hands stretched to help you; but evaluate their worth carefully. No candidate alone can make it – even with all the money.
Ohaneze also has a role to play here. One Igbo friend asked me two weeks ago if I had given up on Igbo Presidency advocacy. It was a long time I wrote about it; he correctly observed. I told him “No, but it is either Igbo candidates don’t need help from other parts of the country or the leaders of Ohaneze have not been reading SUNDAY VANGUARD. Like my friend, I have not heard a word from them.” He was shocked. Professor George Obiozor does not know the sort of pressure people like me experience for breaking ranks when our own people are in the race. The easiest and most profitable step to take is to “return home” (as I was told) and join the biggest gravy train in the zone. But, I have long lived with the principle that a man must stand for something or he will fall for anything. There is a lot of work to do; and I have a plan….
GOVERNOR MATAWALE’S HOUSE IS ON FIRE; HE WANTS TO BURN NIGERIA.
“Bandits killed 2,619; collected N970m ransom; 30,000 bandits in Zamfara forests, five other locations..” Governor Matawalle. April 3, 2021.
Governor Matawalle and Sheik Gumi are the two leading “Devilfathers” (leave God out of this sordid business) of bandits and kidnappers in the North. The Governor, against wiser counsel, continues to negotiate with and pay bandits and kidnappers from revenue contributed mostly by Southern states. Gumi pleads for amnesty for the heinous criminals, without saying a word on behalf of the victims. Yet, this is a Muslim cleric who would readily approve amputating a man who steals a goat according to Sharia law. He, in my opinion is worshipping Satan and not the God of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace be unto Him). The tag team – Matawalle and Gumi – had promoted banditry to a profession deserving National Honours. They call it amnesty. But, the rest of us are not stupid; we know a scam when we see one.
Take a look at those figures provided by Matawalle again. They should reveal some truths to you. But, in case you can’t figure them out yourself, we at UniJankara will help you out. To begin with N970 million would probably pay all the public servants in Zamfara State for a month. Instead of paying the workers, the Governor is carrying their money to the forests to donate to his adopted sons – the bandits. A lot of words to describe that sort of behaviour; sane is not one of them. The lunacy of paying bandits is yielding the appropriate dividends. Matawalle himself provided the figures for his own self-indictment.
“30,000 bandits in Zamfara forests” was his claim to cement his position among those Nigerians anywhere should not have leading them. This is worse than the proverbial case of “the blind leading the blind”. It is more like a totally drunk and manic driver behind the wheels of a luxury bus full of people with “99 standing”. To understand the basis for my charges against the Governor the reader must bear certain facts in mind.
“Even God cannot change the past.” Agathon, 447-401 BC.
Anybody who doubts me can go and read all the newspapers before May 29, 2019; when Matawalle became Zamfara Governor. He would not read about 500 being killed during the years in office of all his predecessors. Irresponsible former Governor Yari might have spent more time in Abuja and abroad than Gusau, but he did not spend his time driving bullion vans to deliver money to hardened criminals. That was Matawalle’s innovation. In two years, despite the Governor running errands for heartless brutes, more people have lost their lives than under all his predecessors combined since Zamfara State was created in 1996. The man has a lot of blood on his hands.
GHOST BANDITS OF ZAMFARA STATE
That, however, is only part of the charges against him. He is not even truthful. During my years in the North, especially Sokoto, I had the opportunity to travel to all parts of what became Zamfara State. There are very few forests during the rainy season; there is virtually none during the dry season lasting up to six months. Right now, there is hardly any forest in any part of the state. So, where are 30,000 bandits hiding?
Since it is no longer news that virtually every state of Nigeria employs ghost workers, is it not possible that somebody might have inflated the number of bandits – ghost bandits that is – in order to claim more funds from the government purse to pay them? I cannot afford to hire a helicopter; but, I can bet anything that if anybody can provide one for surveillance, we will not find forests capable of harbouring 30,000 bandits. That is bad enough.
If we accept Matawalle’s statement as the truth, then he must be charged with another offense bordering on treason. Anybody who knows the number of bandits in a state and their locations in “ghost” forests, and who has failed to reveal the information to the Nigerian armed forces is giving aid and comfort to the enemies of Nigeria. Matawalle should be careful about his utterances on this matter henceforth. In any other country, with a government, he had said enough in those declarations to be regarded as a double agent – one of those profiting handsomely from the banditry they protect and nurture. He is lucky we have no Federal Government in Nigeria.
PROMISES, PROMISES, PROMISES, LIES, LIES, LIES
“FG Committed To Delivering Electricity to 25 million Nigerians.” –VP
“Electricity generation falls to 3,922MW, 11 plants idle.” News Report.
Poor Professor Osinbajo, SAN! Like a young beauty finding herself in a shot-gun marriage to a cranky old satyr, suffering and smiling is her only option. That has been the unhappy fate of one of Nigeria’s best legal technocrats. His promise was published on the same day Nigerians discovered anew that after six years in office, the Buhari regime had not added 1000MW dependably per day to what they inherited. Who believes Osinbajo? …..
