Dele Sobowale
“Zamfara abduction’ll be the last.” President Buhari. March 1, 2021.
“As you all know, we in the present government in Nigeria are committed to ensuring that there is speedy and unimpeded transition to civic democratic rule in which we shall not be participants.” General Sani Abacha, during the inauguration National Constitutional Conference, Monday, June 27, 1994.
There is a link between the two statements by Nigeria’s generals which will be revealed soon. Let me start with the second. Until Abacha made that statement, I wrote for VANGUARD only on Mondays. Suddenly, one day in August 1994, Uncle Sam, the Publisher opened my office door and asked: “Dele, why don’t you write something for us on Sunday?” It was totally unexpected and my first impulse was to refuse. But, you can’t say “No” to your employer, can you? He also wanted the article in about two hours. Just then a June copy of our paper was lying on my table with Abacha’s promise highlighted. I cannot quite lay my hands on the title of the article published in August 1994 anymore. But, I remember my major comment. “If you believe that [Abacha’s promise] then you will believe anything.” I then proceeded to explain why nobody should believe Abacha. I was convinced that the man was buying time with the Constitutional Conference, dubbed CONFAB by the media. He would renege on his promise once the reins of power were firmly in his grip.
That first article was more momentous than anybody could have foreseen. It also almost ended my life. I was saved by the fact that I was not yet on the regime’s radar among columnists regarded as dangerous. The official reaction was delayed for two weeks. Then on a Friday, as I was getting close to the office, somebody waved to me to stop. I did. Less than two minutes after, I was in the back seat of a car heading for my first detention under Abacha for calling the Head of State a liar. I survived that ordeal with a warning; but, I lived long enough to witness Abacha’s efforts aimed at self-succession. I also re-learnt a lesson about “milititians” – soldiers who take on political roles.
“Every government is run by liars, and nothing they say should be believed.”
I.F. Stone, 1907-1989, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 80.
Abacha went further to reassure the delegates to what I later called THE SHIP OF FOOLS, by saying: “We are aware that it is neither in our personal interest, nor that of the nation to perpetuate ourselves in power.” The delegates gave him a standing ovation lasting ten full minutes. On June 9, 1998, Chief Ebenezer Babatope was scheduled to advance a proposal at a gathering convened by Chief Arthur Nzeribe. Our dear Ebino Topsy, a former strong Awoist, turned Abacha- collaborator was picked to ask all the elected members of the National Assembly, NASS, under Abacha’s fraudulent transition programme, to declare Abacha the ONLY Presidential candidate in the 1998 election. But, evil men proposed; God disposed. On June 8, 1998, a day before his coronation, Abacha dropped dead. I doubt if Babatope will ever release the original text of his proposal – which would have been loaded with half-truths and absolute falsehoods”. Later, we learnt that the man was a world class kleptomaniac – among his other vices.
“60 Women, children abducted in fresh Zamfara attack.” News, March 5, 2021.
From Abacha to Buhari is only one short mental step. When President Buhari declared the abduction of over 300 school girls in Zamfara the last, the statement had a familiar ring to it. Something told me we were being set up for a promise that might not be delivered. I wrote a short rejoinder to it last week; making clear that it is another politician’s promise unlikely to be delivered. Less than a week after the President’s promise, bandits struck again in the same Zamfara State. Ordinarily, that should be the end of the story. But, there is more.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS OF NORTHERN TERRORISTS
“The West does not want to accommodate other tribes, but we accommodate your tribe in Bauchi..” Governor Bala Mohammed.
“Nigerians’ll be shocked by those behind schoolgirls’ abduction.” Says Matawalle.
“What I want you people to understand is, soldiers that are involved in most of the criminalities are not Muslims. You know soldiers have Muslims and non-Muslims. The non-Muslims are the ones causing confusion just to ignite crisis.” Sheik Ahmad Gumi. Muslim Cleric leader.
If anybody is in search of people actively promoting terrorists in this country today, he can start with these three Northern Muslim leaders whose explosive utterances in recent times need to be exposed for what they are. I just hope their kit and kin in the Muslim North will remember that they spoke first. These rejoinders have become necessary because silence often means consent. Together, they represent good examples of why the North will not catch up to the South – even if the South stands still for 100 years. The first things they share in common are deception and deliberate falsehood. Let me start with Bala’s outrageous lie.
Is Lagos part of the West or not? At least thirty per cent of all properties in Lagos are owned by other tribes apart from Yoruba people. Surely Bala has visited Lagos several times. Very few of the trailers and tankers causing gridlock at Apapa-Oshodi expressway for more than six years are owned by Yoruba people. The truth is, there is no ethnic group in Nigeria whose peoples’ investments are not more in Lagos than in their own state. Can Bala say the same of Bauchi? But, may be I should stop being polite.
At 76+, I grew up in Lagos knowing about three beggars’ abodes – Cow Lane in Lagos Island, Kano Street at Ebute Meta, Obalende and Agege. All the beggars were Northerners. My mother was born in 1906 in the same Lagos and she found the beggars there. My grandmother was born in the same Lagos in 1874 and she told me that Bala’s fore-runners were already there begging. My children and now some grandchildren today still patronise beggars from the deep North. At least a dozen Northern beggars troop past my front gate everyday and they never fail to collect money from Yoruba people. Can Bala point to any place in Bauchi (or for that matter in the entire North) where Yoruba beggars gather? We all know who the workers are making contributions wherever they live. And, we know who the parasites and beggars are hanging on trailers; transported with cattle to Kara in Lagos. Bala is the last person to utter that sort of nonsense. Even the state he governs depends more on the sweats and labour of the South West people; and he knows it. Being governor is no licence to tell lies.
“Every time you negotiate with terrorists, you become their accomplice.”
Israeli Counter-terrorism official. VBQ, p 244.
Governor Matawalle’s latest statement, like all the others on banditry and kidnapping remind me of a story told in New York City in 1968 by Mrs Golda Meir, 1898-1978, the first and only female Prime Minister of Israel, who led her tiny country to victory over 100 million AK-47 wielding Arabs. Born in Kiev, Russia, she recollected the story of a man who could predict when horses were going to be stolen – until it was discovered that his friends were the horse thieves. Matawalle had consistently gone against the global principle concerning ransom paid to terrorists and vowed not to stop. The obvious question is: “why?” Just as clear is the answer. “Matawalle must derive some benefit from this losing strategy.” Now, he has told us more than he realised. He knows the chief bandits and he is not ready to reveal their identities because to do so is to put an end to undisclosed amounts being taken out of state coffers ostensibly to pay bandits.
Who will be shocked? Count me out. I already have a short profile of some of the bandits. Just wait a while.
“Nobody stands all day in the rain for nothing.” Chief MKO Abiola, 1937-1998.
A Sheikh in Islam is the equivalent of an Archbishop, Prelate or General Overseer of a Christian movement. They are Men of God when they stick to the tenets of their faith. They become Satani’s disciples when they radically deviate from the creed. Thanks to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, I have an English copy of the Holy Quran. First, I challenge Gumi to point to any section of the Quran which says we should not only pardon mass murderers, rapists, arsonists and those torturing orphans and widows; but reward them in addition. The fact is, Gumi is an accomplice to bandits, kidnappers, rapists etc hiding in forests known to him.
Second, Area Boys did not need MKO Abiola to know that nobody undertakes the dangerous missions Sheikh Gumi had supposedly imposed on himself out of patriotism and altruism. We know the bait and switch tactics. The guy carrying the loot from Government House to bandits invariably stops along the way to lighten the load – if you know what I mean? Unfortunately, his religious fanaticism gave him away. He wanted to be popular with Northern politicians and bandits. And, he needed sacrificial lambs. He picked Christian soldiers. It was stupid; because, firstly, he can never substantiate the charge. Secondly, he had inadvertently told us who the bandits, rapists, arsonists and kidnappers are.
Gumi is very much aware that there are no Southerners among the criminals; he and Matawale also know that there are no Northern Christians among them. There are no Tiv, Nupe, Igbo, Berom, Egbe, Afemai etc among them. They are all Northern Muslims – like Gumi and Matawale. Thus, all they are doing is asking the rest of us to endorse a system under which their brothers will commit genocide on a large scale, extort huge amounts at gun-point, rape women with impunity and when finally caught be rewarded with more money. The question is: who benefits from this ridiculous scheme being proposed as national policy? The answer is: Gumi and his brothers.
Some television stations owned by Southerners have given Gumi a forum to publicise his self-serving views without getting knowledgeable Southerners to offer the truth as a rejoinder. Our Southern brothers are behaving as if they will be excluded from destruction if the bandits invade the South. They are gravely mistaken. Gumi is a Muslim religious fanatic operating under the fake umbrella of a cleric. We should recognise him for who, and what, he is. A liar.
ANOTHER ABDUCTION IN ZAMFARA
“Truth is constant.” On March 1, 2021 the news media reported that Buhari vowed that the abduction of school girls would be the last abduction. I said. “If you believe that you will believe anything.” Three days after, bandits abducted more people in Zamfara; March 8, they snatched 30 in Niger. Case closed.
