THE PRESIDENCY AND OKONJO IWEALA – A REJOINDER

This is in reference to an article written by James Obande, title: “The Presidency And Okonjo Iweala” published by the Sahara Reporters on August 15, 2011.

Mr. Obande, I do not know you or your ethnic background; however, I am profoundly disappointed in your article for so many reasons. First, you tried to wear the gab of an intellectual, but your article lacked depth. Adding to that, you tried to mimic the lines of a concerned citizen, but your patriotic fervor appears bogus.  From all indications, you are a first-class ethnic chauvinist and a divisive character masquerading as a patriot or opinion leader. It is like Mr. Donald Trump crying that America is no longer respected around the World since the arrival of President Obama at the White House - a subliminal allusion to race.

This is not personal. I do not know if the name - James Obande - is a real name or it’s simply a pseudonym. Whatever it is, I honestly believe that you are trying to cloak your tribal bias with patriotic mumble jumble – acting as a social activist.  I am very familiar with Dr. Abati's writings and his unbiased take on national issues since his arrival at Rutam House many years ago. In all modesty, I do not think his philosophy on our social-political issues, is in any shape or form, close to your retrogressive baloney.

Your article is very irritating.  Over and over again, you referred to the President as inexperienced. Simply put, your problem is with the last name and the state of origin of the advisers. That is not what we expect of our opinion leaders.  You deliberately decided not to address their qualifications for the job as well as their records of performance elsewhere. You solely relied on Google to do your due diligence. Writers like you believe that Nigerians are so myopic that they would willingly jump on the bandwagon to take side with every ghostwriter who has something horrible to say about the President and his advisers. No, we are better than that.

In your own words: “According to popular opinion, appointments to these two positions were conceded to Minister Okonjo-Iweala as part of the terms of her joining your cabinet …” Yes, popular opinion. Not fact, but popular opinion. Mr. Obande, you do not even have the correct information, yet you are advising “the inexperienced President” on unsubstantiated “popular opinion.”  Nigerians can see why I am outraged.

Moreover, your reference to conflict of interest and check and balances is seemingly incongruous with the facts as presented by you in your article. Yes, your article. First, none of the advisers is holding multiple positions in the administration. Second, the President did appoint them and not the Minster. Your own theory is that because the Minister suggested their names to the President (never verified); their loyalty is to the Minister and not to the President. In other words, they will remain subservient to the Minister and won’t exercise independent judgment when dealing with the President. How myopic!  In sum, that is the thesis of your entire article. That is what you labeled conflict of interests and absence of check and balances. And that is what you want modern day Nigerians to buy into. You are wrong.

For you to apply conflict of interests and check and balances to push an obscure agenda when you know very well that the pictures you are painting lack traces of conflict or overlap, amounts to intellectual fraud. Yes, Nigerians like verbosity and high sounding words and you want to take advantage of their vulnerability to propagate falsehood based on bogus theories.

President Bill Clinton is originally from the state of Arkansas, while his Vice President, Al Gore is from Tennessee; together, they ruled for eight years and transformed America. For the benefit of our Nigerian readers at home, both states are in the south. Can that happen in Nigeria? While can't we have a Muslim President and a Muslim Vice President? Or a Southern Christian President and a Southern Christian Vice President? After all, Niger State produced two Presidents a short while ago, yet it is still one of the least developed states in the Union. In a nutshell, it doesn't matter where the President, or Minster, or Adviser came from; what matters, is his or her performance while in office.

Personally, I won't have any problem voting for a Dr. Ibrahim Ayagi as President and an El Rufai as Vice President. In the same vein, it won't bruise my philosophical or political conscience to vote for a Babatunde Foshala, or Adam Oshiomhole, or Okonjo-Iweala for President and a Southern Vice President.  

Finally, the President should have unfettered discretion in assembling his team and advisers on records of performance and on the merit; without regards to race, geography, state of origin, or religion considerations. If I am traveling by road from Lagos to my village, I do not care if the Minister for Works or Transportation is a Mamman Kontagora or Nnzombia, as long as I get there within 5 hours. I have no doubt in my mind that most Nigerians share that view.  It is high time we jettison deference to ethnic considerations and the state of original concepts in federal appointments. And to you faceless commentators, be courageous enough to stand by your real name when you write. It is an act of cowardice to assume names from other tribes to conceal your true intention. 

 May God Bless the good people of Nigeria.