Mallam Nuhu Ribadu's Speech at ABU

"Political Engagement- A New Approach" By Mallam Nuhu Ribadu | Sahara Reporters

Ribadu v. Abati: Fighting a Wrong War over Deceptive and Misleading Newspapers Headlines. My comment at Punch Newspaper in response to Dr. Abati's Press Release condemning Mallam Ribadu's Address at ABU.

Let it be on record that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was the first and, if I am not mistaken, the only prominent member of the opposition parties who came out to support the President and the Presidency following the declaration of State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States. From all indications, it seems we have forgotten all that patriotic performance by Nuhu, when standing with the President or supporting him then, especially by members of the opposition, was considered an aberration. With respect to the instant feud between Mr. Nuhu and Dr. Abati, I read the Nuhu's address before the Student Council at ABU several times, but I couldn't find the term: "tyrannical leadership." For the avoidance of doubt, I reproduce all the sentences where the word "tyranny" was used, as well as "sinking ship" by Mr. Ribadu in his address.

“The tragedy of our democracy is that it is one in which the yearnings of the youth are stamped down in order to perpetuate a tyranny of interests. Tyranny it is when a certain slim range of people impose their private interests on the majority; tyranny it is when the agents of change are left on the cliffs of unemployment, poverty, insecurity, substandard education and, worse still, policies destroyed by our heritage of corruptions.”   - Ribadu

“To democratize Nigeria, we must understand the powers we refuse to explore. The “tyrants” in a democracy are actually individuals from amongst the people, but when they become agents of electoral malpractices and political dishonesty, the dice turns up against the people from which they have come.” – Ribadu.

“Lastly, let us have in mind that we are now in a sinking ship in which we alone understand, and can reestablish, the hydraulics of our statecraft. Let us have in mind that we are all politicians in this storm.” - Ribadu

“It is certainly the height of hypocrisy for Ribadu who built his entire reputation as an anti-corruption crusader by completely disregarding the rule of law and recklessly trampling on the rights of perceived enemies of the government of the day, to now accuse an administration that has consistently upheld the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights of being tyrannical.” – Abati.

“There can be no doubt that nothing else but blind ambition for an office for which he is clearly unfit is driving Ribadu to infer that an administration led by a President who welcomed him back to the country after his self-imposed exile, restored his rank in the Nigeria Police to save him from the shame of demotion and converted his dismissal from service to retirement has now become tyrannical and anti-people. We take special note of his ingratitude." - Abati

Dr. Abati, in his press release, sounded as if bailing out Mr. Ribadu from his self-imposed exile and restoring him to his due rank before retiring him was on the basis of quid pro quo - "you help me today, I help you tomorrow." Even if that was the case, expecting Mr. Nuhu Ribadu to be blindly subservient or steadfastly deferential to the Presidency on every issue is, to say the least, indefensible, conceited, and unreasonable.  Finally, there are numerous ways to put a lie or to rebut treatises, without actually sounding antagonistic or condescending. If the ship is not sinking, then, provide charts, facts, and figures to support your position that indeed, the ship is not sinking. Not diatribe. I beg to move."  By Alex Aidaghese - Punch Newspaper, 6/10/2013

Blogger's Comment: June 24, 2018

That was my comment as published by the Punch Newspaper, defending Mr. Nuru Ribadu. But what I didn't disclose at the time was that Mr. Ribadu's speech at ABU was actually responding to my well-received comment, also published by the Punch Newspaper, a few days earlier. My opinion appeared in the commentary section that accompanied the story titled "North kicks against a ban on B’Haram, Ansaru."  I signed it as Nonaligned Progressive. It received about 100 thumbs-up and more than 400 concurring comments.

A few days earlier, I did send the essay to some newspapers and Sahara Reporters, but they didn't publish it. However, when when the same essay appeared at Punch as a comment, it was the most-read piece of opinion for two days. 

The same comment appeared as an essay on this Blog on May 17, 2013, titled "Nigeria is at War: We Must Stand Up and Support Our President." The version posted at the Punch Newspaper was also reproduced on this Blog on June 6, 2013. 

Following the hoopla generated by Dr. Abati's essay in his reaction to the Ribadu's speech, as seen above, I nevertheless, came out publicly to support Mr. Ribadu in the posted opinion at Punch Newspaper, even though I knew instantly that Mr. Ribadu was, as a matter of fact, talking to me and not Dr. Abati's boss.

What I didn't disclose then was that Mr. Ribadu, in his speech at ABU, was simply casting a contrast to my interpretation of the word "tyranny."  In other words, he did not by any stretch of the imagination impugn the integrity of President Jonathan.

In hindsight, given the unprecedented reactions that accompanied the publication of my comment at the Punch Newspaper, especially the endorsement of it, I did anticipate some reactions from some powerful Northern political interest groups or academics from ABU or Bayero. 

So, when the news and highlights of Mr. Ribadu's speech at ABU were splashed all over our newspapers, reading them, was to me, a sheer delight. I'm not wrong, after all, in my interpretation of our events, politics, and power in Nigeria. But Abati couldn't read between the lines. He has a Ph.D. in Liberal Arts, not in Political Science, Law, or Public Administration. Nigerian writers in his category are celebrated because they know how to use words better than the rest of us. 

As I said earlier, I did anticipate a rebuttal, but Mr. Nuru Ribadu was never on my mind. Truth is he doesn't know me or has any reckoning of me. I signed the comment at Punch as Nonaligned Progressive. One commentator was to say that the Jonathan Administration has a mole in the press. That may be true, but it is certainly not me. Anyway, I like Mr. Nuru Ribadu, and I do anticipate the likelihood of the two of us working together for the good of Nigeria in the near future. I reserve my comment on the positions I have in mind. 

Here is my reference to "tyranny" as used in my comment cited above.
"As Professor Wole Soyinka would say, “the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.” If the Borno occupation by the sect is not a tyranny, I wonder what it is. Therefore, all of us must stand with the President and support our Military in their collective commitment to liberate the supposedly free people of southern Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Yobe, and of Adamawa State from the siege and grip of the Boko Haram sect."

Here is Mr. Ribadu at his speech at ABU a few days later: 
“The tragedy of our democracy is that it is one in which the yearnings of the youth are stamped down in order to perpetuate a tyranny of interests. Tyranny it is when a certain slim range of people impose their private interests on the majority; tyranny it is when the agents of change are left on the cliffs of unemployment, poverty, insecurity, substandard education and, worse still, policies destroyed by our heritage of corruptions.”   - Ribadu

And here is Dr. Abarti Comment again. See above or rebuttal: 
“It is certainly the height of hypocrisy for Ribadu who built his entire reputation as an anti-corruption crusader by completely disregarding the rule of law and recklessly trampling on the rights of perceived enemies of the government of the day, to now accuse an administration that has consistently upheld the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights of being tyrannical.”

Now, you are the judge.

North kicks against ban on B’Haram, Ansaru

http://www.punchng.com/news/north-kicks-against-ban-on-bharam-ansaru/

My comment, as published by Punch Newspaper: Defending and Standing by the President on his Military Engagement in Borno State, declaration of State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States, and the subsequent proscription of the Boko Haram sect.

As a reasonable, objective, and well-informed observer/Nigerian, I do not know what else President Jonathan would have done in the circumstance. First, he yielded to the demands of the northern elders and made Sambo Dasuki, a distinguished retired Military Officer, and in fact, one of their own, his Security Adviser. Then he agreed to dialogue with the leadership of the sect. In addition, and contrary to all expectations, he dangled the offer of amnesty before the sect and their sponsors. Yet, nothing could avail them to disarm.

The very day President Jonathan inaugurates the Amnesty Committee; two Police Officers were gunned down in broad daylight in Kaduna. Must we then fold our arms, keep silent in the face of stolen joy and senseless killings as if the resurrection of the dead is happening tomorrow? Life has no duplicate, my friends. Boko Haram and their sponsors took his humility for weakness. The proscription of the two organizations is in order.

As at the day the President declared the State of Emergency in the affected States, the magnitude of Boko Haram's barbaric exploit and mayhem - the bestiality and depravity inherent in their executions - surpassed the constitutional standard of "clear and present danger" or "complete breakdown of law and order" required to elicit and validate declaration of state of emergency by a sitting President. Therefore, President Jonathan acted within the limits of his constitutional power as the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by declaring a state of emergency in the affected states. So, I do not know where ACF and NEF are coming from. Is Boko Haram a legal body?

Before the Military intervention, more than half of the territory of the state [Borno State]- a state that is part of Nigerian territorial sovereignty – was under the occupation of Boko Haram. Sadly, our citizens in the occupied enclaves were not only exposed to religious genocide, but were under laws that are grossly incongruous with democratic values, and at the same time, patently inconsistent with rights inherent in the sovereign status that we achieved on October 1, 1960.

Those inalienable rights and democratic values - traditionally and constitutionally inviolate - are currently under siege with the illegal occupation of a substantial part of the northern region of Nigeria by the Boko Haram sect. The overwhelming desire to reclaim that stolen joy, that pride of the Borno people, the democratic values, and sovereign rights presently held hostage throughout the Middle Belt and beyond, prompted President Jonathan and his administration to declare Boko Haram a terrorist organization subject to proscription. In addition, sending armed forces to the troubled spots is collateral to the emergency regime.

Nigerians are tired of seeing pictures of Police cadavers, lying lifeless, with little or no concern from Nigerians as if they were animals or intruders from a different planet.

Nigerians are tired of seeing pictures of innocent women and children, murdered in their sleep, for a senseless struggle they knew nothing about.

Nigerians are tired of seeing villages, once reputed for husbandry and thriving fishing trade completely overwhelmed and dismantled under the pursuit and influence of a belief system that cares less about economic emancipation or enhanced standard of living.

Nigerians are tired of seeing a once vibrant and welcoming city, reputed as the epicenter of the famous Kanem-Bornu Empire, in a state of anomie - in ruin and deserted. That Empire, that vast geographical landscape was at war with itself, at war with civilization, at war with tolerance, at war with peaceful co-existence and at war with everything that their worthy son, Idris Alooma, labored relentlessly, through war, commerce and diplomacy, to build to international standard. This is not the time to cast blame; it is time to reclaim the lost territory and restore peace in the land.

Bringing MEND and OPC into this discussion is intellectually grotesque, and I am not going to address that angle. For these elders and statesmen to question the proscription of the Boko Haram sect, reaffirms the beliefs in some quarters that the same elders and statesmen are directly and indirectly in complicity with the sects' barbaric resolve. In another clime, this latest outburst from ACF and NEF would have warranted a national outrage. But not in Nigeria where the President is always wrong.

From all indications, our President did the right thing; not doing anything would have given the sect added impetus to expand their territorial reaches. Not taking action would have given other groups new energy to further their sectarian objectives, believing of course that there is amnesty and money waiting for them to share for killing and maiming in the name of religion. Not taking action would have given the opposition parties and the incoherent commentators in the social media credible talking points to push for the ouster or impeachment of the President. Above all, not taking action would have succeeded in placing the people in the affected states in more perilous a situation than they have ever experienced since the inception of the insurgency.

At this juncture, I would like to add that there is nothing President Jonathan did that is inconsistent with the current trends in the global war against terrorism.

As Professor Wole Soyinka would say, “the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.” If the Borno occupation by the sect is not a tyranny, I wonder what it is. Therefore, all of us must stand with the President and support our Military in their collective commitment to liberate the supposedly free people of southern Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Yobe, and of Adamawa State from the siege and grip of the Boko Haram sect. The President cannot afford to do less, and as a free people of a sovereign nation-state, we cannot afford to do less, either. We should not give room to partisan political expediency or allow the open hatred of President Jonathan to cloud our sense of judgment, pretending that all is well. All is not well. The proscription is in order. This is the time to support our men and women in uniforms. Period

Just Reminiscing. 

A slightly different version of the above piece, (see "Nigeria is at War: We Must Stand Up and Support Our President"), published on this Blog on May 17, 2013, was actually submitted to Sahara Reporters following the declaration of State of Emergency in Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno States by President Jonathan As always, they did not publish it. It has been like that since they published my piece on the suspension of Justice Salami in August 2011. I sent a protest letter to Sahara Reporters, specifically addressed to Sowore and Rudolf, demanding explanation or reason, but they didn't respond.  Blogging is not my job; it doesn't pay my bills. I am not in competition with anyone or with other media outlets. I am not writing to be heard; I am writing to make an enduring positive change in the political system in my country and at the international level. So far, I have done that beyond my wildest imagination.

To say the least, their refusal to publish my piece was a blessing in disguise. Unexpectedly, the version to Punch Newspaper became an instant hit. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and as at the last count, the piece has received more than one hundred thumbs up, an unprecedented development. In addition, never, since the inception of the social media in the Nigerian public affairs discuss, have I seen such a unanimous, enthusiastic, and overwhelming endorsement of a given piece by the often critical, highly opinionated, and intellectually curious Nigerians. I feel blessed abundantly. And on a spiritual note, the prayer I received today from Nigerians who read the piece was simply amazing. I couldn't ask for more, and I thank everyone. 

This is not the first time I am taking a strong political view; exactly a year ago (June 8, 2012), I  did something more grandiose in style and scope at the international level, with the publication of "OBAMA: Citizen United, Invisible Resistance, and the Hacking of American Democracy" on this very Blog. In the process, we strengthened the Obama's re-election campaign and rescued it from the highly respected/vocal/influential consultants/pundits/commentators of his own political party who were about to derail the momentum of his Second Term Presidential campaign with their antiquated dos and don'ts of campaign strategy. In a very long well-crafted essay (written as always, in plain and straightforward English, using Chris Matthew's analogy), we defined the opponent and defined the main issues in the election, which the campaign team adopted instantly.  In the end, we succeeded in changing the dynamics of the entire campaign. And the rest, as they always say, is now history. I will do it again - where and when or on what issue or for who, I do not know. What I do know is that I always know when a given situation seeks heavenly intervention - an unbiased and objective review/analysis. It is about setting the record straight, supporting the meek and the oppressed, and at the same time, standing for the one facing undue persecution.

Mr. Alex (Ehimhantie-Aiyo) Aidaghese