This write-up will consider three important things including the
'anti-corruption' fight by Mr. President and the fight against terrorism
as well as Federal appointments so far. Notice that the word
'anti-corruption' is in quote. That is because there is some question
that needs to be answered with regard to that issue. So I start.
I
have to say, I had considered Mr. President a clueless man. His
mistaking the name of his own political party and the name of his
deputy, for me, was nothing short of a show of the absence of the
requisite intellectual and/or psychological capacity to run the country.
This position was compounded by the fact that fairly recently, he
referred to 'West Germany' and 'President Michelle.' I was certain at
that point that we had a 'cow' for a president. When originally, he
failed to nominate members of his cabinet, if there was any doubt left
as to the cluelessness of the man we had at the helm of affairs of the
Nigerian state, it was completely obliterated. I additionally thought
that perhaps, he has forgotten that Nigeria is no more under Military
rule. I laughed in my mind, at the laughingstock Nigeria would be all
through his tenure. But I think I might have judged too soon.
Now
that I look closely, I see a man with a plan. A definite plan. A man
that intends first, to purge Nigeria of the corruption that has plagued
our country for many years. Instead of seeing his refusal to appoint
Ministers as a show of indecision and absence of direction, I now
consider it a deliberate attempt to ensure that the people he works with
are unstained by the oil of corruption. I see that as a show of
intelligence and integrity. Our past leaders, Obasanjo, Yara'dua and
Goodluck, all failed to rid the Nigerian system of this filth. They
built on already existing structures, structures that were fundamentally
defective right from the foundation upwards.
I think there is a
need for the structures to be destroyed, and for a new one to be built.
Other than to gather all the past leaders in a large hall and cause
their death, the position taken by Mr. President, PMB, is a step in the
right direction. Certainly, a lot of people that benefited in the past
government will be affected. These people, and others too, will cry that
there is a witch hunt, but seriously, if members of the past
administrations are not investigated and prosecuted, who will, or rather
who should? Has it not been the same persons who participated in the
corruption, or allowed it to go on? All the billions that have been
reported stolen during the past administration, was it not these persons
who allowed them? Should we now say that because Mr. President doesn't
want to seem like he is witch hunting, he should then refuse to
investigate and prosecute people who are known or suspected to have
committed acts of corruption? That is arrant nonsense.
Now, I
may be speaking a little too early, because so far, he is yet to arrest
and prosecute any of the persons who openly supported his campaign to
become Commander-In-Chief, but consider that those for those persons to
have supported PMB, they very likely have not benefitted, or perhaps
benefitted minimally from the previous government. My position on this,
of course, will change if none of these people is prosecuted soon,
because in my opinion, every single one of them is rotten with
corruption and ooze the disgusting stench of ill-gotten wealth.
I
hope that at the end of the Mr. President's four (4) years, even the
policeman who collects N50 from motorists on the street will be affected
by the hammer of anti-corruption.
We all should know, however,
that for the anti-corruption campaign to be successful, everyone of us
will be affected. I myself will be. The reason is not difficult to find,
even the most decent of us is guilty of one form of corruption or the
other at some point or the other. I don't expect that every single
Nigerian will be prosecuted and imprisoned, but that we all should be
purged of our sins and repent in the new Nigerian spirit.
Now on
the issue of Boko Haram and the terrorism, what I'm going to say now may
offend a few, but what I consider to be the truth, must be told. I
remember that towards the end of President Goodluck's tenure, I
complained about the consistent loss of life that continued unabated in
the past few years. I remember saying that if a president is unable to
ensure the safety of the citizens of the country, then such government
is a failure. I still hold that opinion.
Today, about two months
after inauguration of the new government. The insurgency seems to have
gotten stronger. The bombing seems to have become more frequent,
insecurity is still the order of the day. This has forced the question,
so why then did we kick out the old administration, if we are going to
continue with the same problems? But before crying too hard on the
matter, I realize, had the Boko Haram insurgency suddenly stopped the
moment Mr. President got into power, I would have cried fowl play. In my
eyes at least, there will be no further need for proof that Buhari or
his supporters are the cause or fuel of the insurgency.
The
question then begs to be answered, so should the insurgency go on
forever? My answer is a solid 'NO!' Another question then is that of
whether or not Mr. President has the capacity to improve the situation
considering the increased spate of bombings. I have an interesting
answer to that line of questioning. To properly answer that questions
I'll have to refer to a story I was told about the tiger. Please enjoy
the read.
When the tiger is about to die, it doesn't do so
quietly. No. It doesn't just sit. It goes to the highest point it can
find, and then makes the loudest roar. That is its final legacy.
Similarly, when in a fight a strong person is pushed to the wall and
there is no where else to turn but forward, he fights back with all his
might and uses any tactic he can to get the upper hand. Perhaps you, the
reader, have been in a fight or at least watched one, you'll notice
that the person who seems about to lose usually tries his best to throw
as many punches as he can or be as lethal as he can, the reason, it's
either that or accept defeat.
Perhaps, the situation is the same
with the insurgents. Maybe they have nowhere to go but to shout their
loudest or dish out their strongest punch(es). Perhaps I'm wrong but is
that line of though not worth considering? Of course my position on this
will change if we don't see the end of the bombings soon. But for now,
this explanation is worthy of consideration.
The above being
said, I have a problem with the appointments made so far. Apparently,
persons from the south-south and south-east region do not have the
requisite ability to hold offices in the Federation. This is the notion
that is being given by Mr. President's administration.
Mr.
President is not a regional president, and as such is expected to govern
all sections of the country. Nigeria is a volatile state all interests
need to be protected for the nation to be at peace. I note that people
from areas in the defunct Biafra are gearing up, because, the federal
government is appearing to neglect them.
I am a young man from
the Niger Delta, and I want to grow in a country where the same rights
and privileges are given to deserving persons not withstanding their
place of birth and religious creed. My advice to Mr. President and the
APC is that serious consideration should be given to federal character.
If not, I smell pending war.
Let's all join hands to make Nigeria
great. Let us consider our collective rather than personal interests. A
word, my fathers will say, is enough for the wise.
OBIENE, FERNANDEZ MARCUS (The Fernist)
#LifeUnderConstructio
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