Hypocrisy Nigerianna!
Hypocrisy abounds in the land.
From the power-intoxicant and common-sense-dispelling corridors of Aso Rock, to the various Government Houses in the State Capitals, to the streets that snake through the nooks and crannies of Nigeria; palpable hypocrisy is us. We are a peculiar lot. Yes, you and I; the mass of the people and the supposed leaders of thought; led by the pretenders who wield power for their individual interests. We seem to be suffering from a permanence of an intractable pathological condition of selective amnesia. Yes! We are ably led in this abysmal descent by the political class. They are not found wanting, as far as providing leadership in the realm of the absurd is concerned.
A few years ago, our own Umar Musa Yar’Adua, who was foisted on us by a vindictive Olusegun Obasanjo, albeit, for daring to scorn his infamous third term agenda; was absent without leave from his duty post. He was missing in action. The Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of a country that has, regrettably, come to be known to be the haven of extra-judicial killings, at no other time than in the watch of Goodluck Jonathan (with the exception of the Civil War era); was absent from his duty post and area of responsibility for months on end. The reverberations that attended the medical sojourn of Yar’Adua saw Nigerians of all persuasions holding differing positions on the propriety or otherwise of the President’s absentee status and its implication on his ability to effectively administer the machinery of governance from without the shores of Nigeria. One thing led to another and Goodluck Jonathan ascended the saddle of Commander-in-Chief after the historic and unprecedented invocation of the doctrine of necessity by the National Assembly.
The basic issue for discourse at the time was, whether the Vice President could assume the duties of the President without a letter from the latter to the National Assembly, intimating them of his leave. This situation was aggravated by the conspicuous lacuna in the Constitution. The Michael Aondoakaas of this world, spewed all manner of illogicalities to the effect that a President can exercise his duties from anywhere in the world.
Fast forward to present day. Nigeria is plagued by the scourge of absentee governors. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, Danbaba – the flying – Suntai (apologies to Soni Akoji) of Taraba State, and Liyel Imoke of Cross Rivers State, have all spent varying lengths of time outside their duty posts. Yet, Nigeria, and the affected States, in particular, is yet to be bestirred with similar clamour that attended Yar’Adua’s absence. The same figures that castigated Aondoakaa and his gang of absentee governance cabal, have suddenly decided to find wisdom in silence.
Of course, there are many that would rise to justify this emerging trend of offshore governance. The issue for rumination and contemplation is, to what extent does their absence conform to public service rules and regulations? For how long can a Nigerian public servant be absent from his duty post and still legally lay claim to his appointment? We are aware that university professors are allowed to proceed on sabbaticals in other institutions. Do we now have sabbaticals for political office holders? Even if we manage to find some legal backing, sealed with perpetual latitude provided by our cash-for-ruling justices, for offshore governance; is it morally sound to have an elected public official be out of his duty post for upwards of one month, without running afoul of the law?
Not too long ago, Professor Barth Nnaji, arguably the most performing Minister of the Goodluck Jonathan administration at the time, was forced to resign from office on account of some conflict of interest he had in the impartial discharge of his duties. Whereas, this piece would not seek to canonize Nnaji; one cannot fail to ask whether his offence outranks those of Emeka Wogu, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, who was alleged to have been the beneficiary of N2.7billion oil subsidy fraud, and was nevertheless, appointed as Chairman of the white paper Committee on the Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Revenue Task Force Committee. If this is not toxic hypocrisy on the part of the head of the government, what is?
Remember Justice Ayo Salami? Sure, you do. In the case of the estranged President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, President Jonathan decided to approbate and reprobate. In the first instance, he swiftly obeyed the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, NJC, in suspending Salami from office; in the second instance, he decided to ignore, if not disregard, the NJC’s recommendation that salami be reinstated. Did you just say this is selective application of justice? I say it is selective justice based on vendetta of perceived foes. And this is the man that goes to town, with his lieutenants in cue, trumpeting the much-hyped transformation agenda?
What about the gap-toothed General at the hilltop mansion in Minna, Niger State? Following the unfortunate and condemnable attack on the convoy of the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, by unknown gunmen; Ibrahim Babangida was reported to have described the incident as a wake-up call to Nigerians, and consequently called on the government to change tactics in fighting terrorism. For the records, methinks Ado Bayero is a peace-loving Nigeria who has made efforts for harmonious living among people of various ethnic origins and religious affiliations within his domain. What I find disturbing is Babangida’s sermonization on the incident. As a former Head of State, and by extension, an elder statesman, shouldn’t he be concerned and worried about the extra-judicial killing of any Nigerian? Does it have to take an attack on the Emir, or someone of his status, for him to realize that the country is in dire straits? Is he implying that the hundreds of lives of the Talakawas lost in the North to the rampaging attacks of terrorists, and those of the commoners in the South that are daily under threat of armed robbers and kidnappers; are not enough to have woken him up from his pernicious slumber of extreme callousness?
We are not unawares that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Police have become embodiments of hypocrisy and selective justice. When it pertains to the culprits in the Siemens, Halliburton, fuel subsidy, and other high profile and politically exposed thieves; the agencies become patients of instant amnesia. But when the suspect is some low profile individual, or a high profile individual that decides to cross the government of the day, the agencies become some ferocious hyenas that wouldn’t stop until their prey is devoured.
What is required at this time, more than ever before, is sincerity on the part of Jonathan. This sincerity must be reflected in the choice of individuals he surrounds himself with. If he decides to appoint persons with corruption perception baggage into offices; he cannot turn around to pretend to be leading a transformation agenda. For, one cannot give what he does not have. Corrupt lieutenants can only superintend the perpetuation and spread of corruption. On the part of the people, it must be realized that sleaze and misrule are not only found in Aso Rock. The same pressure that was put on the center in the last days of the Yar’Adua administration must be extended to the Jonathan administration and the States. The States cannot continue to be treated as some fiefdom of a medieval king, whose authority dares not be questioned. In the quest for change, there are no sacred cows, just as there shouldn’t be any sacred grounds.
By Efe Wanogho Via Ekekeee.com
Efe is on twitter as @efewanogho.
From the power-intoxicant and common-sense-dispelling corridors of Aso Rock, to the various Government Houses in the State Capitals, to the streets that snake through the nooks and crannies of Nigeria; palpable hypocrisy is us. We are a peculiar lot. Yes, you and I; the mass of the people and the supposed leaders of thought; led by the pretenders who wield power for their individual interests. We seem to be suffering from a permanence of an intractable pathological condition of selective amnesia. Yes! We are ably led in this abysmal descent by the political class. They are not found wanting, as far as providing leadership in the realm of the absurd is concerned.
A few years ago, our own Umar Musa Yar’Adua, who was foisted on us by a vindictive Olusegun Obasanjo, albeit, for daring to scorn his infamous third term agenda; was absent without leave from his duty post. He was missing in action. The Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of a country that has, regrettably, come to be known to be the haven of extra-judicial killings, at no other time than in the watch of Goodluck Jonathan (with the exception of the Civil War era); was absent from his duty post and area of responsibility for months on end. The reverberations that attended the medical sojourn of Yar’Adua saw Nigerians of all persuasions holding differing positions on the propriety or otherwise of the President’s absentee status and its implication on his ability to effectively administer the machinery of governance from without the shores of Nigeria. One thing led to another and Goodluck Jonathan ascended the saddle of Commander-in-Chief after the historic and unprecedented invocation of the doctrine of necessity by the National Assembly.
The basic issue for discourse at the time was, whether the Vice President could assume the duties of the President without a letter from the latter to the National Assembly, intimating them of his leave. This situation was aggravated by the conspicuous lacuna in the Constitution. The Michael Aondoakaas of this world, spewed all manner of illogicalities to the effect that a President can exercise his duties from anywhere in the world.
Fast forward to present day. Nigeria is plagued by the scourge of absentee governors. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, Danbaba – the flying – Suntai (apologies to Soni Akoji) of Taraba State, and Liyel Imoke of Cross Rivers State, have all spent varying lengths of time outside their duty posts. Yet, Nigeria, and the affected States, in particular, is yet to be bestirred with similar clamour that attended Yar’Adua’s absence. The same figures that castigated Aondoakaa and his gang of absentee governance cabal, have suddenly decided to find wisdom in silence.
Of course, there are many that would rise to justify this emerging trend of offshore governance. The issue for rumination and contemplation is, to what extent does their absence conform to public service rules and regulations? For how long can a Nigerian public servant be absent from his duty post and still legally lay claim to his appointment? We are aware that university professors are allowed to proceed on sabbaticals in other institutions. Do we now have sabbaticals for political office holders? Even if we manage to find some legal backing, sealed with perpetual latitude provided by our cash-for-ruling justices, for offshore governance; is it morally sound to have an elected public official be out of his duty post for upwards of one month, without running afoul of the law?
Not too long ago, Professor Barth Nnaji, arguably the most performing Minister of the Goodluck Jonathan administration at the time, was forced to resign from office on account of some conflict of interest he had in the impartial discharge of his duties. Whereas, this piece would not seek to canonize Nnaji; one cannot fail to ask whether his offence outranks those of Emeka Wogu, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, who was alleged to have been the beneficiary of N2.7billion oil subsidy fraud, and was nevertheless, appointed as Chairman of the white paper Committee on the Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Revenue Task Force Committee. If this is not toxic hypocrisy on the part of the head of the government, what is?
Remember Justice Ayo Salami? Sure, you do. In the case of the estranged President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, President Jonathan decided to approbate and reprobate. In the first instance, he swiftly obeyed the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, NJC, in suspending Salami from office; in the second instance, he decided to ignore, if not disregard, the NJC’s recommendation that salami be reinstated. Did you just say this is selective application of justice? I say it is selective justice based on vendetta of perceived foes. And this is the man that goes to town, with his lieutenants in cue, trumpeting the much-hyped transformation agenda?
What about the gap-toothed General at the hilltop mansion in Minna, Niger State? Following the unfortunate and condemnable attack on the convoy of the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, by unknown gunmen; Ibrahim Babangida was reported to have described the incident as a wake-up call to Nigerians, and consequently called on the government to change tactics in fighting terrorism. For the records, methinks Ado Bayero is a peace-loving Nigeria who has made efforts for harmonious living among people of various ethnic origins and religious affiliations within his domain. What I find disturbing is Babangida’s sermonization on the incident. As a former Head of State, and by extension, an elder statesman, shouldn’t he be concerned and worried about the extra-judicial killing of any Nigerian? Does it have to take an attack on the Emir, or someone of his status, for him to realize that the country is in dire straits? Is he implying that the hundreds of lives of the Talakawas lost in the North to the rampaging attacks of terrorists, and those of the commoners in the South that are daily under threat of armed robbers and kidnappers; are not enough to have woken him up from his pernicious slumber of extreme callousness?
We are not unawares that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Police have become embodiments of hypocrisy and selective justice. When it pertains to the culprits in the Siemens, Halliburton, fuel subsidy, and other high profile and politically exposed thieves; the agencies become patients of instant amnesia. But when the suspect is some low profile individual, or a high profile individual that decides to cross the government of the day, the agencies become some ferocious hyenas that wouldn’t stop until their prey is devoured.
What is required at this time, more than ever before, is sincerity on the part of Jonathan. This sincerity must be reflected in the choice of individuals he surrounds himself with. If he decides to appoint persons with corruption perception baggage into offices; he cannot turn around to pretend to be leading a transformation agenda. For, one cannot give what he does not have. Corrupt lieutenants can only superintend the perpetuation and spread of corruption. On the part of the people, it must be realized that sleaze and misrule are not only found in Aso Rock. The same pressure that was put on the center in the last days of the Yar’Adua administration must be extended to the Jonathan administration and the States. The States cannot continue to be treated as some fiefdom of a medieval king, whose authority dares not be questioned. In the quest for change, there are no sacred cows, just as there shouldn’t be any sacred grounds.
By Efe Wanogho Via Ekekeee.com
Efe is on twitter as @efewanogho.
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