Our Own!

-J. Gilbert. 

BUHARI, OKONJO-IWEALA AND ADESINA: A CASE OF MAKING CLEAN THE CUPS OUTSIDE?

             We complain about many issues in our country, which is not wrong at all, given the situation of things on ground. More so is the fact that, never has half the nation’s youthful population had it so bad in leadership terms. Unfortunately, it stops at talk, talk, talk and no true real action. In saying it as it is, many Nigerians accuse President Muhammadu Buhari of sectionalism, nepotism and specifically, of Northern-mindedness. With the realities obtainable, it becomes really difficult to raise a hand in the Daura man’s defense.

            But, we often overlook the many sado-masochists in the land. Total sadists whose stock in trade are perpetually to seek the downfall of others who work their lives out to make the difference and at least, give us better outlook at the world stage. On the 27th of August 2020, Akinwunmi Adesina won re-election as President of the African Development Bank AFDB for a second term in office and was only sworn into office a few days ago. Every well- meaning Nigerian must be happy for the man, despite the hurt of the current pump price of premium motor spirit. His victory was albeit not devoid of PMB’s backing seeing the imperialist and hegemonic clouds that surrounded his ambition. Given the President’s manner of support to the AFDB supremo, it would have certainly sent shocks down the spines of many citizens. Here was a man that worked with his predecessor of the PDP and of a different ethnic extraction against the popular assumption.

             The President’s support will extend beyond Adesina . Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of the PDP government and a southerner too will go on to land Buhari’s approval and endorsement in her ambition for the World Trade Organization top job. Perhaps the two cases on point are indicative of a change of style… In a swift twist, Okonjo-Iweala will go on to face a bump in the form of unknown faces. Her media adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu will go on to issue a statement alleging that some “powerful and well-connected forces” in Nigeria were working assiduously and manufacturing controversies, and “peddling outright lies” to sabotage Dr. Ngozi’s chances for the WTO job. What was the sabotage all about? It has to do with an attempt to link her with the indigenous people’s organization of Biafra (IPOB). The claim was/is that she and IPOB share the same PR consultant, Mercury LLC in the United States. It is not impossible that the Washington DC based firm may have done some work for IPOB looking at its link with Nigeria and Nigerian interests. However, to take a leap from that and attempt to blackmail Dr. okonjo-Iweala is senseless. She has also cleared that she cannot even afford the services of a PR agency, publicly. It is safe then to assume that the treatment we receive outside the shores of our land is a measure of how we treat ourselves shabbily within. Many cases abound. From Cyprus, neighboring Ghana, South Africa are just good enough.

           “ …for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excesses.” Should this country even export the kind of hands it badly needs at such a time the economy needs fixing? Whatever be the answer, we badly are in need of truth-telling to ourselves in terms of mutual respect before placing demands on other nations to respect what is OURS!