The Maina Saga is quintessentially the Nigerian Story. It is NOT an isolated incident. That's the way we've been governed since the end of the Civil War - the privileged few just allocate public funds and public offices to themselves and their cronies, while the not so privileged, but who, nevertheless, have indirect access to the funds through employment opportunities or contracts, find ways to tap into some of the wealth by hook or by crook. The former group is the protected class, imbued inordinately with a sense of entitlement complex. The latter group is the one you read about most often - the usual thieves. Not anymore. Now, there is a paradigm shift in newsgathering and in the dispensation of news, thanks to the emergence of the social media. Besides, more Nigerians (whistleblowers) are now willing to talk. The cats are beginning to come out of the bag and the Mainas are spilling the beans.
That said, the incumbent, sad to say, is undeniably emblematic of the protected class as discussed above. Given his unperturbedness or helplessness, as some Nigerians would like to define it, in the face of the Maina's miraculous disappearance from Nigeria and his unannounced reentry into the civil service, there is no gainsaying that the saintly status that he parades in the Nigerian political system is cascading dangerously towards extinction. As events unfold, it is beginning to appear that the exalted rank he enjoys within the ruling class is not necessarily on the basis of his people-oriented ideological bent (Aminu Kano's populism) or sagacity in governance and public affairs (Almadu Bello's shrewdness), but arguably on the basis of his connection (kinship) with the Kano axis of the famed Sokoto/Kano Caliphate.
The unfolding drama (thanks to the social media) and the mediocre performance of almost all the President's men and his Ministers, punch holes in an age-old facade of "a man of high integrity", "tough on crime" and of a "commitment to strict financial discipline." His Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the EFCC, the President's trusted men and the DSS are on collision course on how to shield or expose a fugitive from justice.
Mr. President is FEUDALISM personified. With him, you don't need a further lecture on entitlement, nepotism, and bigotry. Cattle-herders are on the lose, maiming and killing indiscriminately while he remains unruffled. And his hired consultants are continuing wasting and depleting our treasury searching relentlessly for crude oil in the Chad Basin and the North Western axis. He seems to be on a mission that has no traces of democratic values.
Analysis
That said, the incumbent, sad to say, is undeniably emblematic of the protected class as discussed above. Given his unperturbedness or helplessness, as some Nigerians would like to define it, in the face of the Maina's miraculous disappearance from Nigeria and his unannounced reentry into the civil service, there is no gainsaying that the saintly status that he parades in the Nigerian political system is cascading dangerously towards extinction. As events unfold, it is beginning to appear that the exalted rank he enjoys within the ruling class is not necessarily on the basis of his people-oriented ideological bent (Aminu Kano's populism) or sagacity in governance and public affairs (Almadu Bello's shrewdness), but arguably on the basis of his connection (kinship) with the Kano axis of the famed Sokoto/Kano Caliphate.
The unfolding drama (thanks to the social media) and the mediocre performance of almost all the President's men and his Ministers, punch holes in an age-old facade of "a man of high integrity", "tough on crime" and of a "commitment to strict financial discipline." His Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the EFCC, the President's trusted men and the DSS are on collision course on how to shield or expose a fugitive from justice.
Mr. President is FEUDALISM personified. With him, you don't need a further lecture on entitlement, nepotism, and bigotry. Cattle-herders are on the lose, maiming and killing indiscriminately while he remains unruffled. And his hired consultants are continuing wasting and depleting our treasury searching relentlessly for crude oil in the Chad Basin and the North Western axis. He seems to be on a mission that has no traces of democratic values.
Analysis
Historically, his leadership, irrespective of the sector in the political system is all about the consultants and close-knit family members, taking charge. And these are collectively his brain - the untouchables, the undercover agents - acting their own scripts in federal establishments and paying allegiance to no one in particular. To him and his henchmen, the Southern region is a conquered territory - its people and its resources. In his world, General Abacha
When he told his American audience that those who gave him 75% of their votes in the last Presidential election deserves more in terms of government presence than those who gave him 5%, he was unquestionably being Mr. Buhari. When he told his interviewer - and repeated it when later called upon to clarify it - that women belong to Kitchen and the "other room", he was, once again, being Mr. Buhari. Brutally frank and brutally honest derisively in expressing what he believes in. Truth must be told; his brand of honesty and frankness are not for the moment. He is not abreast of our reality. He is patently unaccommodating of contemporary school of thoughts. Integrity is time-conscious - evolving and embracing of all the emerging trends in social, political and economic developments. His trusted Advisers are very comfortable with who he is. And that's a measure of the quality of counsel he is getting from them. In the opinion of late Papa Awo, tell me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.
This is not personal, President Buhari does not have a good understanding of the Nigeria of the moment. His trusted friends, from all indications, do not know how to manage that vacuum with a view to strengthening and consolidating the much-advertised integrity. And that is the "Buhari dilemma" confronting us a nation right now - an alien in his own country. He is not Babangida. And outside of his extended family members and the Kano/Katsina axis of our political system, he has no good understanding of who is who in business, academics, entertainment or in Arts and Culture. Therein lies the strength of the cabal - managing the vacuum aggressively to their own advantage. And it is now becoming clearer why they are unwilling to accommodate the views and engagements of the true progressives who fought for the mandate.
That a Minister of State for Petroleum Resources had to resort to writing and sending a letter to Mr. President who is also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to be able to make his voice heard in some of the matters arising in the Ministry, exemplifies the current trends in the administration as well as the level of the disconnect between the President and members of his cabinet on the one hand, and between the Presidency and the general public on the other.
We cannot break the level of trust existing between Mr. President and those he is known to have worked with over the years. These are the people, his trusted followers, who couldn't keep the President's Villa in a habitable state while the President was convalescing in Lond Hospital. Yes, the same trusted followers who didn't know that the Aso Villa Medical Center is a ghost town, in spite of the massive budgetary allocations that the hospital boast of. If we cannot force or persuade the President to distance himself from the same people who betrayed the progressive mandate, we can at least take our mandate to the one who is amenable to change and willing to do our bidding. Its all about the President's Men - that's what matters most in any administration anywhere in the world.
As a President, you don't have to be an expert or a genius in managing public affairs, but who you parley with regularly makes a huge difference. President Buhari doesn't have the men, and he doesn't know, judging from history, how to step out of his comfort zone and out of the sights and sounds of the now discredited acolytes (the so-called cabal), to seek real patriots, detrabilzed mavericks, and technocrats to assist him in making a meaning of the supposed progressive mandate that he has.
When he told his American audience that those who gave him 75% of their votes in the last Presidential election deserves more in terms of government presence than those who gave him 5%, he was unquestionably being Mr. Buhari. When he told his interviewer - and repeated it when later called upon to clarify it - that women belong to Kitchen and the "other room", he was, once again, being Mr. Buhari. Brutally frank and brutally honest derisively in expressing what he believes in. Truth must be told; his brand of honesty and frankness are not for the moment. He is not abreast of our reality. He is patently unaccommodating of contemporary school of thoughts. Integrity is time-conscious - evolving and embracing of all the emerging trends in social, political and economic developments. His trusted Advisers are very comfortable with who he is. And that's a measure of the quality of counsel he is getting from them. In the opinion of late Papa Awo, tell me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.
This is not personal, President Buhari does not have a good understanding of the Nigeria of the moment. His trusted friends, from all indications, do not know how to manage that vacuum with a view to strengthening and consolidating the much-advertised integrity. And that is the "Buhari dilemma" confronting us a nation right now - an alien in his own country. He is not Babangida. And outside of his extended family members and the Kano/Katsina axis of our political system, he has no good understanding of who is who in business, academics, entertainment or in Arts and Culture. Therein lies the strength of the cabal - managing the vacuum aggressively to their own advantage. And it is now becoming clearer why they are unwilling to accommodate the views and engagements of the true progressives who fought for the mandate.
That a Minister of State for Petroleum Resources had to resort to writing and sending a letter to Mr. President who is also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to be able to make his voice heard in some of the matters arising in the Ministry, exemplifies the current trends in the administration as well as the level of the disconnect between the President and members of his cabinet on the one hand, and between the Presidency and the general public on the other.
We cannot break the level of trust existing between Mr. President and those he is known to have worked with over the years. These are the people, his trusted followers, who couldn't keep the President's Villa in a habitable state while the President was convalescing in Lond Hospital. Yes, the same trusted followers who didn't know that the Aso Villa Medical Center is a ghost town, in spite of the massive budgetary allocations that the hospital boast of. If we cannot force or persuade the President to distance himself from the same people who betrayed the progressive mandate, we can at least take our mandate to the one who is amenable to change and willing to do our bidding. Its all about the President's Men - that's what matters most in any administration anywhere in the world.
As a President, you don't have to be an expert or a genius in managing public affairs, but who you parley with regularly makes a huge difference. President Buhari doesn't have the men, and he doesn't know, judging from history, how to step out of his comfort zone and out of the sights and sounds of the now discredited acolytes (the so-called cabal), to seek real patriots, detrabilzed mavericks, and technocrats to assist him in making a meaning of the supposed progressive mandate that he has.
(1) The escalation in the bloodbath in the Middle-Belt, (2) the complete breakdown of road transportation networks throughout the major cities of the country, (3) his taciturn in the face of heightened and unbriddled lawlessness of cattle-herders, (4) the appalling disconnect between his Presidency and the people (questions of finacial accountability), and above all, (5) his noncommital resolve in the face of the brazen hijack and derailment of a PROGRESSIVE MANDATE by his trusted relatives and friends, who, in the opinion of the First Lady, were not privy to the "change struggle" are cogent enough to sustain a campaign of disqualification. I beg to move.
My Verdict - Moving Forward
President Obasanjo, towards the end of his eight years in government, said, "I do not know who is going to replace me as the President, but I know who won't." Fellow Nigerians, let change that narrative. The focus should be on ELECTABLE CANDIDATES who are known to be on the side of the people, who are moving with time; willing, capable and genuinely suited to act the "father figure's role" that is missing right now in the leadership. Demanding that the incumbent must not seek a second term mandate is not good enough. Attention should shift towards the search for who the cap fit, and not who should not wear the cap.
Therefore, the time is now for us - every one of us - to embrace a sterner resolve, to wit, speak truth to power and discard the DOCILE appellation. That sense of ENTITLEMENT and of the ANOINTED must be rejected and discredited; otherwise, this country will drift apart irretrievably. Take a stand on the side of truth and BREAK THE JINX. Or else, the jinx will break us. He is part and parcel of that old order. He can't break from it and he can't be changed. His Predecessor couldn't break from it and he was rejected. No one is entitled to or enjoy a right to Aso Rock that is not available to other Nigerians.
If we truly cherish a philosophy of one great Nigeria and of one nation-state that is indestructible, we must also cherish and accept the right of every Nigeria from any part of the country to stand for Presidential election at any time. The talk of "it is the turn of my region to produce the next President" must be abandoned. If we are truly one country, tribal card, regional card, and religion card must be taken out of our politics and leadership selection. You cannot continue to push a narrative of one strong Nigeria and at the same time continue to argue that it is the time for your region to produce the next President. It doesn't make sense. That's a jinx we must break in the next Presidential Primaries and election for one true nation-state to evolve.
As an addendum, I want to repeat as I stated elsewhere a few days ago that these gentlemen listed below are not just electable, but they possess leadership qualities that have been missing in our Presidency over the years. Donald Duke is electable. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is electable. Olisa Agbokoba (SAN) is electable. Governor Umar Ganduje Ph.D. is electable. Governor Peter Obi is electable. And last but not the least, Abubakar Umar is electable. Federal Character or Quota System did not play any role in the selection process. Why is Governor El'Rufai missing from the list? Simple. A few years ago, late 2012, to be precise; I used about two thousand words to endorse Malam El'Rufai for President for the 2015 Presidential race. By accident, I stumbled on his Facebook profile about a year later and I couldn't stomach the bile his fans were printing on his Timeline about President Jonathan. I was not a fan of President Jonathan; nevertheless, the hatred and the malignant tones that Mallam El'Rufai was presiding over or allowed to be printed on his Timeline regarding a sitting President, were unprecedented, undemocratic, and patently unpresidential. Stupefied, I went to my Blog and delete the endorsement. Do I believe that he is prepared or that he would do creditably well as President if given the chance? Absolutely. Beside former Vice President Atiku, I think he is one of the few active Nigerian politicians reasonably prepared to be President or who would know what to do from the very first day in office. But that is neither here nor there. I do have serious concerns about national figures who are temperamentally predisposed to playing the ethnic card whenever they are not in government or occupying public office.
My Verdict - Moving Forward
President Obasanjo, towards the end of his eight years in government, said, "I do not know who is going to replace me as the President, but I know who won't." Fellow Nigerians, let change that narrative. The focus should be on ELECTABLE CANDIDATES who are known to be on the side of the people, who are moving with time; willing, capable and genuinely suited to act the "father figure's role" that is missing right now in the leadership. Demanding that the incumbent must not seek a second term mandate is not good enough. Attention should shift towards the search for who the cap fit, and not who should not wear the cap.
Therefore, the time is now for us - every one of us - to embrace a sterner resolve, to wit, speak truth to power and discard the DOCILE appellation. That sense of ENTITLEMENT and of the ANOINTED must be rejected and discredited; otherwise, this country will drift apart irretrievably. Take a stand on the side of truth and BREAK THE JINX. Or else, the jinx will break us. He is part and parcel of that old order. He can't break from it and he can't be changed. His Predecessor couldn't break from it and he was rejected. No one is entitled to or enjoy a right to Aso Rock that is not available to other Nigerians.
If we truly cherish a philosophy of one great Nigeria and of one nation-state that is indestructible, we must also cherish and accept the right of every Nigeria from any part of the country to stand for Presidential election at any time. The talk of "it is the turn of my region to produce the next President" must be abandoned. If we are truly one country, tribal card, regional card, and religion card must be taken out of our politics and leadership selection. You cannot continue to push a narrative of one strong Nigeria and at the same time continue to argue that it is the time for your region to produce the next President. It doesn't make sense. That's a jinx we must break in the next Presidential Primaries and election for one true nation-state to evolve.
