Coming from a man whom I wouldn’t expect anything so charitable from (his infamous bicycle episode comes to mind), I was so elated. Well, I had always held such opinion. Pardon me if I may sound a bit immodest, but we are. From our history, aristocratic postures, to our great cultural heritage which I make bold to say is secondary to none, we tend to have what others don’t have yet crave. “Awa omo ani’hun to’yinbo o ni”.
So when I woke up on Sunday 23rd November, to a message on my whatsapp application coming from a great Uncle depicting two infamous photographs, one from the first republic, the second from the forth republic – where my grand uncles, uncles and brothers from the Yoruba race led others scaling the fences of the National Assembly then and now, and reading the justification of such imbroglio by the Minority House Leader Honourable Gbajabiamila and seconded by their party chairman, that they were acting in such clime in the defense of our democracy; I covered my face in shame! How come a supposedly most sophisticated people in black Africa have the tendencies of leading unenviable and inglorious positions each time our nation seems to be at a cross road?
This reminds me of my stubborn school mates who usually scale fences each time they are late to school or when they wanted to skip classes to watch movies at cinema or play video games during school hours (I didn’t do it o) – so abashing! Or are these honourables so dishonourabled? I had to quickly indulge myself in a brief history class from the sender of the photographs whom was delighted to enroll me in his class. And presumable, my lecturer was more than willing to take me in history lessons, rather, a journey into the rudderless minds of our political class. He made me see that the Honourables of the Action Group in 1963 were doing same – scaling the fence in the defense of our democracy; these among many others prejudicious postures set the tones for the first coup d'état and ultimately the Nigeria Civil War – a war we haven’t come out from till this day – as the Ibo race is still feeling shortchanged in the Nigeria contraption. Yet the stage seems set for another. The brazen arrogance of power and the winners take it all position of the ruling elites saddens the heart.
A very close sister calls me an anarchist because of these views. I had on various forums since 2012 seen the handwriting on the wall, and I have voiced my discontentment but no one seems to listen even when they hear. I know many may want to chastises me for taking such an assumptive position bearing in mind the powers that be may have perfected their plans to replicate the Ekiti scenario where seven seems greater than twenty-one. But can such stand the test of time and the law? Yes, time may be taken. Yes precious valuable time may be lost in this cause, but all will eventually come to nut! Can something be built on nothing? Me think the actions of our Honourables only added credence to the position of the Western Powers that Nigeria is heading to the caving sand, which will eventually lead to its fall into the abyss. With Boko Haram prowling all around – taking large swats of land and hoisting their black flags and threatening even the capital territory (I know my people in Ijebu Land are willing and able to replicate the feats of local hunters in Adamawa; we get juju no be small; my people no go gree), with the growing insinuations that the leadership of the nation seems to have a hand in an arm of the ragtag killing machine, coupled with the mistrust among various echnic groupings, then your guess is as good as mine – Nigeria is heading there after all.
As a Christian, I have always expected the dooms day for Nigeria. The Prince of this present system of things has been rampaging leaving trails of blood world over – with the Middle East and Africa being the centre stage. Nigeria can not be an exemption; leaving us peaceful may not serve a sense of equity nor justice having been bearing his evil fangs everywhere. So when sometimes ago some people were blaming President Goodluck Jonathan in saying Nigeria is only having its fair share of global terrorism; I laughed, because they do not know what the President knew. But we can avert the imminent and impending if collectively we are willing and able to deploy our political might and good sense of maturity. It is not too late. So Honourables, please stop scaling the fences so my brothers in primary, secondary school and elsewhere won’t have justification for same. “Wetin you dey teach our pikins?”
This brings to mind one of the songs of my enviable and sagacious Lagbaja Omo Baba Mukumuko – Surulere. May we not be like the drunk who forgets poverty and caps himself with the calabash of palmwine. Let our political class understand that being patience and sensible may not be docility. Yes, sometimes you have to fight to be a man, but a fight too many makes you a hooligan! -
By Akeem Ademuyiwa Sadiq, email: hsodiq@yahoo.com Twitter: @halogen347
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