Dele Momodu joins Presidential race

One of Africa’s most famous publishers and THISDAY columnist, Bashorun Dele Momodu, is set to move from publishing to politics. According to sources, the publisher of Ovation International, a leading celebrity magazine, was provoked by the decision of former President Ibrahim Babangida to join the presidential race.

THISDAY checks revealed that Momodu has actually been travelling round the world to mobilise young Nigerians to support what he calls “a mission to clean up Nigeria.” His friends believe he’s one of the few Nigerians who have managed to build “a global brand against very daunting odds.” He enjoys a large following of Nigerian youths on Facebook and Twitter.

Momodu was a major supporter of Bashorun Moshood Abiola’s presidential bid in 1993. He was detained at the Alagbon detention camp, Ikoyi, Lagos, between July and August 1993 for his political activities. In 1995, he was forced into exile by the General Sani Abacha Military Government, and lived in England as a refugee for three years. He was accused of being one of the brains behind the pirate radio station that was attacking the dictatorship in Nigeria, an allegation he denied vehemently.

He started Ovation International during that period, and was a regular Yoruba presenter on the pirate radio broadcast, Radio Freedom, which later became Radio Kudirat, under the pseudonym of Saliu Elenuugboro. He decided to support the pirate radio since he was already punished for being a member of its clandestine operations.
He returned from exile in 1998 and expanded his publishing outfit from England to Ghana and Benin Republic where Ovation International is now translated into French. The widely-travelled publisher has been able to build a larger-than- life image and he has a one-on-one relationship with Presidents, international figures, business gurus, students’ organisations, civil societies and political groups.

When THISDAY contacted him in Ghana last night, Momodu said that there were incredible pressures on him to contest next year’s Presidential election. “My supporters are of the firm belief that Nigeria needs a fresh beginning and that that fresh air can only be guaranteed by someone who has not been tainted in anyway by government office and cannot be accused of pilfering government money,” Momodu said. He added that when he eventually announces his intention to run, “the decision would have been aided by the challenge thrown at us by former President Ibrahim Babangida that he can’t see any young Nigerian who can lead Nigeria out of the current political doldrums which was largely created by him.”

Asked on what political platform he hopes to contest when the time comes, Momodu confirmed that he has been a card-carrying member of Labour Party because his father was an ordinary Nigerian who worked most of his life as labourer.

“Most of the men from my Afenmai tribe of Edo State were labourers, and I come from that proud unionist tradition of dignity in labour and service to humanity.” Also, his growing up in Ile-Ife, Osun State taught him the values of hard-work in an environment where most people were poor.

Bashorun Momodu’s presidential bid is certain to add colour and excitement into a usually dull race because of his firm grip on the entertainment and showbiz industry in Africa.  

We Are Ready to Rule the World By Dele Momodu

Pendulum By Dele Momodu


The raging debate everywhere at the moment is if indeed there are no capable youths to lead Nigeria out of the present doldrums. My take on it is simple. We have thousands of capable Nigerians all over the world. None of our sit-tight elders went to a special school to learn how to govern a country. In fact, I’m beginning to think that our problems started from putting half-baked illiterates in power. The tragedy of half-education is that the recipient often thinks he knows everything, when indeed he knows not that he knows not, to borrow Chinua Achebe’s words.  And the deaf would continue to recite the last songs he heard before his hearing became impaired. If we had an enlightened leadership, we won’t be where we are today. An exposed person would have been aware of the word called shame. There is nothing to indicate that most of the crop of leaders we have own a dictionary. If they do, that simple word is missing in their lexicon.

Only a people without shame would fail to see that our airports are just too disgraceful. The putrid smell that welcomed us to Nigeria yesterday morning on our arrival from Ghana was out of this world. As we filed out of the aircraft, we were welcomed to our good old Lagos by the most unfriendly rug crying for replacement. It was dirty and damp. The heat that descended on us was as hot as those emitted by the angry lava in Iceland. As if that was not bad enough, there was a pool of water along the corridor leading to another corridor that takes one to the immigration section. None of the airport or airline staff deemed it fit to do anything about it. There were standing air-conditioners blowing furiously away, and mercifully donated by a bank, but its power was too little to make any difference.

I saw disgust boldly written on the faces of some Nigerians and foreigners alike. I could imagine their state of mind. If you thought that was just it, you are dead wrong. Another joker awaited us. If you had not used a gym for a while, don’t worry a lot. A keep-fit therapy awaited you as you meandered through the queuing rope that was also sponsored by a big bank. What is so difficult about having a flexible system that is adjustable? The last one was the icing on the cake. After waiting for what seemed an eternity, a polite airline officer announced that we were going to retrieve our bags manually because the conveyor belts had refused to cough into action. Some Ghanaian guests attending Dr Mike Adenuga’s daughter’s wedding today exchanged coded looks with me. What could I say? That’s what our leaders have done to us. They smiled. But the message was clear.

Our leaders don’t think we deserve anything better. I have no doubts that most of these professional politicians will never change their ways. They are too set in their selfishness and see nothing wrong with our squalid existence. There is obviously no respite anywhere we turn. The motorways are death traps. Writing about power and energy crisis in Nigeria is to sound like a damaged compact disc.  Yet our leaders insist we must continue along the same path of destruction. They often forget that you can only get the same results when you repeat the same mistakes over and over again. I hosted some members of the National Association of Women Journalists at my Accra home two nights ago, and they asked why we moved our production to Ghana, and many other multinational companies are moving away in droves. I explained that our main reason was the intractable and accursed problems of electricity.

No one has been able to explain why we cannot have constant electricity or a well-organised rotation of power supply like PDP and their zoning systems. If we can rotate juicy appointments, we should be able to rotate our misery. The decision to move part of our operation was painful. Now we have to collate our stories and pictures in Lagos, send the materials to our production centre in Accra, send the planned pages to our printers in London, send the magazine to our freight companies for distribution in Europe, America and Africa, and tackle the tough battle of clearing goods at our airports, and so on. It is a tedious process that could have been avoided if our situation was much better at home. By the time you are through with all the merry-go-round, all the profit is gone. You have to be a compulsive gambler to remain in publishing. We have to device all manner of ingenious means to remain in publishing and our leaders have not helped matters in any way.

We’ve already wasted 50-long years in the wilderness of Nigerian politics. It is very obvious that nothing has changed, and nothing is likely to change unless you and I wake up from our narcoleptic state and take decisive steps.  The godfathers are not going to give up their status voluntarily. There are all kinds of landmines being laid along the path of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan who seems committed to putting a few things right in our polluted climes. The hawks are too determined to keep us in our grovelling state so that they can continue to pummel us. It is not true that there are no capable youths to lead Nigeria in this 21st century but our elders are too selfish to allow them to function. They’ll rather maintain their analogue tradition in a digital age. And they are not in a hurry to partake in the miracles happening all over the world. They are happy to wallow in our daily routine of sadness and joy.

There is no point wasting our sleep over those who have decided that they’ll take Nigeria along with them to heaven. Our duty is to continue to work for the restoration of our dignity and pride as a nation. I’m encouraged by the new age awareness made possible by technology. Those who wish to scorn the advancement of science in the world today are welcome. Those who believe Nigeria will remain in this stagnant cesspool forever are wishful thinkers.

The tidal wave of change will blow them away sooner than they can ever imagine. The youths of Nigeria have been sufficiently angered.  I’m constantly on the move and we meet ourselves regularly. The level of awareness has increased monumentally. We are also beginning to experience the dividends of education. The wings of education are spreading powerfully like the eagle all over the country. The internet, as slow as it is in most places, has made it possible to reach millions of people at the touch of a button. I receive hundreds of mails from the remotest parts of Nigeria daily. I have not been able to catch up with the mails in my box. The more I try, the harder it becomes. I have never seen the type of anger being expressed on the net in the last week since the youths of Nigeria were described as never-do-wells.

I have tried to console our friends that we have nothing to worry about because facts are too sacred. We have sufficient proofs that we are not a useless and irresponsible generation. I have met Nigerians on virtually all the continents and have incontrovertible evidence that we are a great people with a glorious heritage. In all professions and careers, we are highly rated and respected.  Our foreign hosts often ask how come we have so many brilliant Nigerians everywhere but are saddled with incompetent and reckless leaders. One American psychiatrist even recommended some books to me recently that she thought might help me unravel the mysterious afflictions of our leaders. For example, how do you explain the desperation of septuagenarians wanting to return to power decades after leaving power? What makes it impossible for them to sponsor one of the great gentlemen close to them?

I know that General Ibrahim Babangida for example has a lot of young and brilliant friends. I have told a few of them countless times that the former President would be well applauded if he helps us to find and support new and credible people into positions of power. That is what he should do. I’m personally embarrassed on his behalf for the barrage of attacks he’s receiving. I just can’t comprehend why he went out to re-open old wounds. I pleaded with our mutual friends long before the public declaration that they should not allow a “whole” Babangida to be demystified by walking naked in the market place. Some of us had forgiven Babangida but can never forget the terminal mistakes he made or allow him to come back to take us on a fruitless ride again. Many of us will thank him profusely if he can do us the favour of sparing us the agony of his latest phantasmagoria. Contrary to what many of his friends are telling him, I’m writing out of a genuine belief that he tried his best but his best was not able to lead us anywhere. I doff my hat to his doggedness as he continues to explore every opportunity to return to power like General Olusegun Matthew Aremu Okikiolakan. Let me reveal the formula that made it possible for Obasanjo to return to power. Obasanjo spent quality time in jail and came back like most returnees as a philosopher king. Nigerians, in their collective wisdom or stupidity, expected Obasanjo to have learnt useful lessons in prison. Is Babangida ready for that type of expensive sacrifice in the name of wanting to return to power? Of course, no condition is permanent.  

The Bumpy Road to 2011 by Dele Momodu

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida

Pendulum By Dele Momodu

I don’t know if you noticed the uncanny coincidence. After playing so much hide-and-seek, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida eventually unveiled his mask last week, and found the voice to declare his much-touted Presidential ambition. Just like the case of his former best friend, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, IBB’s declaration came several months after the death of his glamorous wife, Maryam Ndidi Babangida. If you remember, Abiola’s sudden but earth-shaking declaration in 1993 came not long after the death of his influential wife, Ayinba Simbiat Atinuke Abiola. There were speculations then that Abiola was able to take such a monumental risk because the only woman who could hold him in check was no longer around to play her matronly role.

There must be some truth in the clairvoyant powers of women. Or how else can one explain the fact that the same Babangida who could not summon the courage when it was most needed in 2007 to take a critical decision has now become the pugilist who’s flexing muscles all over the place shortly after the sad death of his wife?  Women are able to way options better. Women don’t jump into risky ventures. It has taken nearly 20 years for the wounds of the annulment of June 12 election to heal. Maryam would probably have envisaged that the bitterness of June 12 won’t ever disappear. She would have seen the type of attacks that are flying from everywhere to Minna at this moment, and would have tried to prevent it. I’m not God but I know that IBB would require more than the dwindling skills of Maradona to make any headway with his political interests this time around.

The jamboree we saw in Maryam’s homestead of Asaba, Delta State, last week was in my view less than decent and sensitive. Here was a husband and father who was visiting his wife’s family, probably for the first time in God knows how many years, with their children and was captured in public campaigning away at what should have been a sorrowful occasion.

I could not believe that none of the retirees who accompanied IBB to Asaba could talk him out of the morbid dance. What was worse, his wife had just gone through the most excruciating pain of cancer, and lost her battle for life. If the case had been the other way round, Maryam would have been compelled by a chauvinistic society and tradition to observe a mourning period of complete abstinence for a minimum of one year. But men must be men in Africa. We are allowed to get away with anything while our women are subjected to cultural manipulations.

IBB could not wait long enough for Maryam to return to dust before diving into the murky pool of Nigerian politics. What is in this power that makes it such a consuming passion? His handlers too could never see anything wrong in a widower playing politics with the death of his wife. His in-laws also could not see any act of indecorum in rolling out the drums at an occasion that required absolute state of sober reflections. The soldiers of fortune were readily available to give credence to the perception that we are indeed the happiest people on earth. IBB wasted no opportunity in bagging another big title in Asaba for additional effects.

 The quintessential master of semantics had metamorphosed into a born-again activist as he raised his fist skywards like Fidel Castro, except that here was a different kind of revolutionary. He was at his eloquent best and the man who would be king left no one in doubt of his intentions this time around. He was surrounded by his ubiquitous friends, mostly Retired Army Generals, the first indication that we are in for the same old game, and that nothing would change if the unthinkable happens next year.

It was certain that we are in for another bumpy ride as the fateful year of 2011 draws closer. IBB’s men were already warming up for their triumphant return to our Jerusalem. It is often good to dream, but what I saw of IBB’s latest adventure is a nightmare. His boys were already heckling anyone who dared to suggest that IBB’s ambition will soon evaporate into thin air. The cheekiest of them all is my rambunctious brother Kazeem Afegbua who comes from my neck of woods in Edo State and challenged me to a popularity contest with IBB. What chicanery?

 Anyway, I’m ready to accept the wonderful challenge with every sense of humility and purpose. And wish to assure my brother that with the level of anger and frustration I see all over our despoiled land, I will defeat IBB in a free and fair contest, even if I can’t beat any other candidate. I’m convinced that Nigeria and Nigerians have moved beyond the backwardness of 1993. The time has come for us to begin to dismantle old and archaic myths. We must smash to smithereens the oppressive tendencies that only a group of people can rule in a country of about 150 million people. We must encourage the best of Nigeria that litter every part of the world to leave their comfort zones to participate at all levels in the onerous tasks of nation building.

We shall deal with relevant details elsewhere. It is pertinent to respond to the latest outburst from Mallam Adamu Ciroma, who went all out to canvass the unconvincing argument that only a Northerner must rule Nigeria in 2011 because of a gentleman’s agreement reached with the Obasanjo government on his departure in 2007. He even gave the impression that the North shot down the elongation plan of General Matthew Olusegun Okikiolakan Aremu Obasanjo, just as he studiously ignored the fact that most of his kinsmen in Yorubaland were virulently opposed to the misadventure.

 I really don’t care where the President of Nigeria comes from next year. The President must be a Nigerian citizen who enjoys wide appeal from most Nigerians after going through a transparent electoral process. Ciroma’s unacceptable assumption is that the ruling party, PDP, must win next year’s election when from all indications the party has an abysmal record of failure on all fronts. Nigeria cannot afford another four years of a party without a Manifesto and ideology, a party of warlords who have shown no concern for urgent developments in our country. Their attitude is that we have all the time in the world to build our nation. For all they care, we can reach our destination in the next millennium, not a big deal. But most Nigerians are now quite desperate than ever. We want a change, and it matters not who the harbinger of the good news is.

Nigerians have been too patient and lenient with the PDP. But that has now led to a state of hopelessness and despair. What then informed Ciroma’s confidence that Nigerians would accept any fabricated candidate the North offers next year against conventional wisdom that Nigerians are sick and tired of this vicious cycle? The poor and the rich are crying and consoling each other in an unprecedented show of solidarity these days. I know many Northerners who don’t share the views of our boss Ciroma.  They are embarrassed that the North has ruled for so long in the chequered history of Nigeria with nothing to show for it. They feel they fared better under the governments of Southerners.

 What of the zones that have never produced any of our Presidents whether military or civilian? What has the South gained from recycling a few of their people? Nothing but misery! Truth is always bitter, but it must always be told. Take a drive around Nigeria and what confronts you is the heart of darkness in the metaphorical sense of it. You are rattled by a leadership without ambition, a people who believe we don’t deserve the good things of life.

 No Nigerian has the right to talk down on fellow citizens. We are Free-born citizens and not descendants of Slaves. Every Nigerian should be qualified to aspire to any level of his dreams. We applauded America when the son of a Kenyan immigrant became the most powerful man on earth, but are we ready to embrace the same type of tolerance here? Educated Nigerians often behave like stark illiterates when issues move in the direction of politics and religion.

We have an Acting President who comes from the South-South of Nigeria for the first time, a region that supplies all our claims to fabulous wealth. Is it not an insult on this gentleman that he’s been tactically elbowed out of the race by Adamu Ciroma and company? Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to all intents and purposes is the new kid on the block in Nigeria, and his recent performance in the United States should be an indicator to the fact that this luckiest Nigerian should never be underestimated. He returns home as a hero who did us proud on his first major outing as Acting President.

Something tells me that if there were doubts before of Jonathan running the race next year, such molecules of indecision would have disappeared by now. Dr Jonathan has endeared himself to the world by his cool mien and relaxed confidence while on world stage. He would be less than human to resist the temptation of taking a powerful shot at the Presidency next year. From all indications, the man is set to take the biggest risk of his incredible life, and I think he should in order to reposition as a true democratic country where no man shall be oppressed by his fellow citizen. And I can’t really see any major challenger yet amongst the pack of timid aspirants who have not been able to issue one policy statement on the state of our nation but want to be President. The only one being paraded as the sure bet by his cronies will soon chicken out when the kitchen gets too hot. Under what power or Constitutional authority would Ciroma and his co-travellers bully Dr Jonathan away from contesting if and when he so decides?

I also take exceptions to the veiled threats by Ciroma that no one should contemplate removing the obviously incapacitated President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua from office. I’m really surprised that my senior colleague cannot rise above ethnic jingoism at this time and age. The call for Yar’ Adua’s removal on account of his ill-health is not a wicked or mischievous call. No one wished him any evil. Despite the manner Dr Jonathan has been humiliated by President Yar’ Adua’s family, he has handled the situation well and with maturity.

Our President requires total and better attention than what he’s being forced to receive in the gilded cage of Aso Rock at the moment. It is shameful the way his family is misbehaving as if the presidency is more important than his life. Most Nigerians will definitely support flying the President out to anywhere of the family’s choice where he can find the cure for his ailments. But his family would rather subject him to the unfair indignity we’ve all witnessed these past months. Ciroma should therefore direct his anger elsewhere. Nigerians are more interested in that change agent, and it matters not where he comes from. The road might be very bumpy but Nigerians have the resilience to achieve the impossible.

Source: www.thisdayonline.com

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Why I Won’t Vote for the Generals by Dele Momodu

Pendulum By Dele Momodu, 04.03.2010

Now that General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) seems to have made up his mind to challenge fate, I think he should be told the home truth which is a scarce commodity in these parts. In his usual style of dropping coded hints, he chose Abeokuta, the home town of his former best friend, Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, to fly the latest kite of his political ambition. The occasion was the pre-birthday gathering of friends of Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. As much as I admire IBB’s charms and charisma, I seriously believe he does not have much to offer at this time and age, nearly 20 years after quitting power, or stepping aside.

I have had series of hot arguments with a few of our mutual friends who swear by his name, and have convinced themselves that only him can rescue Nigeria from the political logjam he got our country into when he annulled Nigeria’s freest and best election in 1993. I have told them IBB would definitely fit the role of a quintessential kingmaker but not the King again. What else does he want to prove except to equal or surpass General Olusegun Obasanjo’s number of years in power? Simply put, it can only be an ego trip.

There is nothing new or original in their avowed stance and abject fixation on IBB’s return to power. They are rigidly convinced that IBB has the magic wand to whip all the warring gladiators into line. They want us to believe that he’s a born-again leader, and has new ideas about how to fix Nigeria. One of their popular songs is that the man is now committed to building a true Federalism in Nigeria. Promises and promises as usual. Why can’t he join hands with others to achieve these noble ideals, I have asked our friends countless times.

They insist he has to do it himself for maximum effects and results. I wish I could be as fanatical about this otherwise great Nigerian as much as these guys but I cannot. IBB has an attractive persona no doubt. On the two occasions we’ve spoken this year on phone about the sad death of his gorgeous wife, Hajia Maryam Ndidi Babangida, he left me in no doubt that he’s a snake-charmer. IBB is that smooth.

But we should see issues beyond the personal. Friendship should never take precedence over matters of national importance and our collective well-being. We’ve gone this route before in 1999 as we allowed ourselves to be studiously regaled by the same tricksters who had persuaded themselves that only General Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ) could lead Nigeria out of the doldrums. But I was never convinced. It was always obvious that IBB was playing games when he went out to invite OBJ back to power, when as a matter of public knowledge everyone knew they were never the best of friends. IBB’s motive was crystal clear, even to the blind. The idea was to lay a solid foundation for his eventual return to power. And he found a willing partner in OBJ. It is doubtful if OBJ would grant him that indulgence today.

In fact, I was so enraged by the hypocrisy of their concoction in 1999 that I went all out to support Chief Olu Falae, the famous economist and banker. I had a clear vision about the charade that was being packaged as our elixir for good governance and accountability that I undertook the task of flying at my expense to Vienna, Austria, in search of a good Vice Presidential candidate for Chief Falae. Nigeria was blessed with many accomplished icons that were capable of rebuilding our nation but we were always saddled with the worst materials in the name of political expediency and permutations. My conviction then was that Nigeria would fare better if we could have a sound economist like Chief Falae, and a brilliant engineer like Dr Rilwan Lukman as President and Vice President respectively.

I was convinced that Nigeria could make do with technocrats in power for a change. There was no doubt in my mind that the combination of Obasanjo, a retired Army officer, and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a retired Customs officer, would most probably spell doom for Nigeria. I met Dr Lukman at his OPEC office in Vienna where he was President but could not persuade him to venture into partisan politics. He believed that members of the Nigerian Mafia had a hand in the second coming of Obasanjo, and there was nothing anyone could do at that time to stop them. I returned to Nigeria a sad man.

In no time, Obasanjo became the President of Nigeria as predetermined, and eight irreplaceable years wasted away at the speed of light. Still we saw no signs of redemption. Obasanjo tried his best, to borrow the popular cliché of his acolytes, but his best was not good enough to repair our roads, to give us constant electricity, to keep our university students in school, to give us drinkable water, to prevent our presidents being flown abroad for medical treatments, to keep our airports squeaky clean and efficient (except during the brief stint of Dr Kema Chikwe, which soon collapsed thereafter), to guaranty the security of lives and properties, to create mass employment and give us abundant food and so on.

As if that was not bad enough, OBJ’s apotheosis fell flat when he conducted the worst election ever in the history of Nigeria in 2007. Not only was the election disgraceful, most of the candidates were abysmally poor. They did not represent the best Nigeria could offer. Corruption stank to high heavens. The conmen had laid their landmines in preparation for another cycle of unreasonable experimentation and servitude.

Sadly, Nigeria has been an abattoir in the hands of these military men and we have been the guinea-pigs and rabbits in their political laboratories. I have been told by those who should know that come what may, IBB is very ready to take the plunge this time around. And the name of the United States of America is being dropped all over the place as part of the conspiracy to bring IBB back to power. I wonder at what stage IBB and America became such Siamese twins that one cannot do without the other, and what has changed since those years when IBB and the United States engaged in cat and mouse game. I doubt if there is much America can do to force IBB on Nigerians if the people decide he’s not their choice.

There are many salient reasons I’m reasonably convinced IBB is about to embark on a misadventure. The first is that age is no longer on his side, and the conditions which made the re-emergence of OBJ possible in 1999 have changed. Nigerians have seen the futility of endless musical chairs and relay races by the Army Generals. If they were that brilliant and efficacious, Nigeria would have witnessed substantial progress in the hands of these self-appointed messiahs.

All the Generals who want to return to power in Nigeria have enjoyed their fair share of the national cake. When they had absolute power, they could not use it to change Nigeria for the better, like Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings did in Ghana. How would they be able to turn Nigeria around in their twilight years when they’ve all made untouchable friends and have mellowed down with age?

IBB is fast approaching 70 and he must be losing his agility and mental alertness like all mortals do at that age. He has already passed the retirement age for civil servants and should be content with enjoying a blissful time as a pensioner and grandfather. As I told our mutual friends, IBB cannot afford a complete demystification of his myth as Nigeria’s most charismatic and influential former President. Jumping into this fray may open up old wounds and a Pandora box for which he’s yet to fully atone for his sins of commission and omission.

There are people of the Gani Fawehinmi school who are warming up to come all out to ask what happened to former Newswatch Editor-in-chief, Dele Giwa, who was murdered clinically, and with military precision, by a letter bomb, with no clue whatsoever as to who did it till this day. It is one murder that will continue to haunt our nation.

IBB would even have to come out clean about the terminal mistake of annulling the 1993 Presidential election after it was obvious Chief Abiola was coasting home to a monumental victory. He would have to avoid the unhelpful rigmaroles he’s subjected us to these past 17 years and say precisely why he took such a destructive decision. He would have to go on all fours and plead for mercy and forgiveness and avoid the swagger of a remorseless man. That unfortunate and unpatriotic act has caused Nigeria so much anguish for which we are yet to recover.

IBB will be a hard-sell to most Nigerians, not because he’s not a likeable or personable character, but because our nation has moved beyond going to the graves to exhume political corpses. Even the ones that were recently resurrected by Acting President Jonathan are still butts of jokes everywhere. None of them would have stood the chance of sailing through in a free and fair contest but they were selected by the godfathers.

If the sponsors of IBB’s comeback bid are day-dreaming of another rigged election like they did in 1999, 2003 and 2007, Nigerians are now better equipped to resist and rebuff them. If they think this is a joke, they should wait and see the type of technology and physical mobilization that are available to be fully deployed in the next few months. The world has advanced beyond imagination since that era of free-for-all rigging and so has Nigerians learnt to adopt the new digital revolution.

IBB is not the only retired General who’s planning to contest the next Presidential election in Nigeria. Also warming up is the weather-beaten former military ruler, General Muhammadu Buhari. His biggest minus is that his ceaseless ambition to stage a spectacular comeback is beginning to take its toll on him. Buhari was not his spritely self when I saw him recently at the THISDAY Awards in Abuja. The wrinkles lining up on his face were signs of battle fatigue. He’s been mercilessly pummeled by friends and foes alike.

There are many who would readily vouch for his integrity, but incorruptibility is not the only prerequisite for attaining power. On previous attempts, Buhari was not able to muster enough resources to make appreciable impact at the polls. He even went to court the last time, but returned home defeated. His political party (ANPP) has since been decimated by the ruling party PDP, and the man himself is on the streets like an orphan in search of adoption.

His past as a military dictator is also an albatross. It would be difficult for many Nigerians to forget and forgive his draconian laws. He ruled by awesome decrees, and detention camps were filled to the brim. There are no signs yet that he has shed the toga of ruthless dictatorship. An attempt at forming a mega-party with Atiku Abubakar, and others, has failed as expected. These politicians are victims of unbridled ambition.

The third General who’s suspected of still nursing a Presidential ambition is Nigeria’s most outstanding spook, Aliyu Gusau, who recently bounced back to power as National Security Adviser. The highly respected gentleman and officer of no mean achievement is suffering the same fate as the other two, especially in the area of age. These guys are getting too old to tackle the vicissitudes of life in Nigeria. What Nigeria desperately requires are new kids on the block, those who have the tools of modern power, and understand the new ways of life.

At 50, Nigeria cannot continue to be a slave of the past. It is time for a rebirth. And we have the men and women who are waiting to take charge and take the world by storm. It is not too late for IBB and company to enter the new train and discard those locomotive engines.

Source: http://www.thisdayonline.com/

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Between Tinubu and Fashola

Pendulum By Dele Momodu

If you ask Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu if he’s fighting his godson, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola(SAN), the answer will definitely be a capital NO. And if you ask the godson if there is a major rift between him and his godfather, he would certainly blame the “rumour” on some imaginary enemies. But if the truth must be told, Asiwaju Tinubu and his warmongers are about to tear their own man, the Governor of Lagos State into shreds in the market place. I have met people who are close to both camps who have boasted that the Lagos State Governor would not be impeached but he would be taught a lesson in “how not to bite a finger that feeds you.” The idea is to pummel him so much that his dream of a second term in office will become a mirage.  Except God intervenes and enters their hearts, they will try everything possible to achieve their mission.

 I have no doubts in my mind that they have the capabilities to destroy their own candidate. My theory is very simple, the same white man who made the pencil made the eraser. If a man can make anything, then it is possible for him to destroy it. But why would any man attempt to destroy his own creation? What offence would warrant the determination of a father to ruin his own child? The answer eludes me. The on-going battle for the soul of Alausa Government House in Lagos is of tragic proportions. I’m worried because of the danger the Alausa battle portends for the rest of Nigeria. Going for the jugular of Lagos is like cutting the throat of Nigeria.

 We’ve witnessed such wars of big egos in the West before. Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola fought themselves to their graves. Why do old friends turn against themselves to become such rabid foes? Why is it so difficult for brothers and their wives to enter their bedrooms and settle their differences away from the gaze of man but in the presence of God?

Depending on whom you ask, Governor Fashola is seen as a traitor and ingrate on the other side of the fence. He had no chance of ever being a governor until his godfather forced him on the Action Congress, the tale-bearers would claim. Tinubu single-handedly funded the campaign and succeeded in fighting PDP to a standstill.

The one common denominator that rings most stridently from Fashola’s accusers is that he has not paid Tinubu enough returns on his huge investments. They hate him for what they see as ivory tower arrogance. He’s alleged to be selfish and inaccessible. His supposed disdain for politicians seems to enrage the group to no end. Some of the allegations are dripping with venom. Fashola’s popularity as an achiever makes them even angrier. In their view, everything was conceptualised at the level of Tinubu’s ingenuity. They’ve gone to great lengths and incredible extent to lampoon Fashola’s glory as an over-bloated creation of paid spin-doctors.

On the other hand, there are those who would argue that Tinubu as a benefactor should not seek to turn Fashola into his slave or robot. Whatever money Tinubu claimed to have spent came from the coffers of Lagos where he made huge profits from a robust tax collection. Why is Tinubu always seen at most functions with Fashola, as if the agreement was that the Governor Emeritus would continue to rule Lagos by proxy? Why can’t Tinubu leave the Governor alone to become his own man and carry his own cross? The war drums are sounding everywhere.

I have been a great fan and disciple of Tinubu since our days in exile. I have seen him go through some ups and downs of life. He’s an exceptionally generous and energetic leader. He’s also a very consummate politician who understands the uses of power. I will call him a gambler of sorts because at the time he brought out Fashola, the move turned out to be a masterstroke. No matter Fashola’s mistakes today, I join well-meaning stakeholders in appealing to Tinubu to embrace the hardworking Governor warts and all. He should be proud that he did not bequeath a liability on Lagos.

Even members of the ruling party have been praising the promising moves of Fashola in Lagos. Tinubu should listen to the war drums, but he must never dance to it. War never gives birth to a beautiful child. It won’t be any big news if Tinubu defeats Fashola. But it would be a bigger headline if the unthinkable happens, and Fashola pulls an upset. As Thomas Paine explained in his essay on miracles, it would have been a bigger miracle if Jonah had swallowed the whale.

Such is politics. It is like a game of football. Anything can happen in 90 minutes. And the devil you know is always better than the ones pretending to be your friends today. I trust Tinubu to know better. A father must never use his hands to kill his own son. My advice is out of profound love for both great men.



Source: www.thisdayonline.com

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Jonathan’s Ministerial Blues by Dele Momodu

Pendulum By Dele Momodu


I’m now finally convinced that there is a curse on Nigeria. And all men and women of good conscience should henceforth direct their prayer points at the many hopeless warlords who litter the political landscape of Nigeria. Holy Ghost fire should descend urgently on those who would never work for the badly-needed progress of Nigeria. Muslim and Christians, and possibly animists, alike should form an alliance of prayer-warriors so that God can exorcise the genies that have tirelessly militated against the general wellbeing of Nigeria and Nigerians.

Please, don’t treat this as a joke. Our situation is that desperate. It is now very obvious that this brood of vipers will never change their ways. It is cocksure that these septuagenarians and octogenarians are determined to kill Nigeria totally before they head to their graves. Can someone please tell me what these super Nigerians want from us again? These are people who have been in the corridors of power for about 50 years. They were sent to school at public expense. They were trained abroad with our money. They rose sporadically through the ranks unlike their contemporaries in other climes.

They forced themselves on us many times, claiming messianic mission. They bastardised our psyche and wasted our resources with little or no resistance from us. Before our very eyes, a nation of surplus became a nation of minus. In a country with the biggest black population on earth, we have continued to ignominiously recycle a few men and women from a filthy database of less than 1,000 cronies, dynasties, cult members, and housekeepers, most of who come to power with less than impressive credentials.

Is it not tragic that each time we thought we have come close to a resolution of our political gridlock, something always cropped up to set us back? The story of Nigeria is the sad tale of a motherless baby who was sent to live in the home of a witch. Sooner or later, the baby would go the way of the mother. For too long, Nigeria has been kept under the firm grip of political vampires whose only desire in life is to keep us all in bondage. They care not about what becomes of their own children, and many generations to come, after they would have completed their sinful mission on earth. Nigerians must wake up from this narcoleptic state and confront the merciless usurpers and interlopers. These were the same people who connived in 1993 and encouraged General Ibrahim Babangida to shoot down our best presidential election ever without any fear of God or retribution. Why would those who shout patriotism on the rooftops hate their country so much, and denigrate her at every opportunity?

Nigeria’s intractable political crisis is reminiscent of Abiku’s “going and coming these several seasons,” as John Pepper Clarke would have described it.  All the hopes we placed on Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to challenge the status quo, and halt our senseless drift to anarchy, seem to be evaporating slowly but surely. I received the first ominous sign last Sunday night at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos as we prepared to board a flight to Paris. I had come across a very influential member of the ruling party, and after exchanging pleasantries, we drifted to the issue of ministerial appointments. The thought of Jonathan attempting to radicalise governance in Nigeria did not resonate with the obviously conservative party Lord who was flying to a different destination. “We have told him to perish the idea. Nigeria operates a partisan system, and this system produced Jonathan himself. He can’t afford to tamper with it,” he said with a burning conviction.

For a split second, I thought I was suddenly on another Planet, and was confused as to what to make of this postulation. It was difficult to imagine that at this time and age, the overwhelming views of Nigerians did not count in the eyes and minds of members of this privileged class. Most of those visitors to Dr Jonathan’s office and home in the last couple of weeks were said to have fed him with bile instead of sucrose. Fear has been at the centre of their strategy. Nigeria is a cake that must always be shared by a few people who have formed themselves into groupies. The rest of us can go to hell and remain there. The sordid theory is that nothing will happen. Nigerians are too stupid and docile to do anything. They are both right and wrong as we shall discover one day.

I told our man that if I were Dr Jonathan, I will damn the consequence and let the heavens fall. Why would I want to repeat the same things that have repeatedly brought catastrophic results to our land? I will allow the people of Nigeria their few months of glory for a change. It would form my compensation to those who stood by their country when others stood by their long throats. I will line up those faces that the hawks usually hate to see, and make them ministers and special advisers. I will march on the streets and kick the bums of those too lazy to work at my pace. I will demonstrate clearly that governance is no rocket science. I will spend the next twelve months working assiduously on fixing a few of our myriads of challenges as a nation.

The world will hear my name and stand at attention. And my name would be perfectly etched on the golden side of history. The country is not a personal property of anybody. I will call their bluff and savour the pleasure of it. They will come like beggars and shall be so treated. I will shred all the useless CVs they brought to me. I will ask if other Nigerians have no right to serve their country. I will show how unimportant they are in the new scheme of things. If they were such responsible adults, Nigeria would not be in a state of coma today. They must allow the man holding the life-support some fresh air, because the task at hand is not a joke. It cannot be business as usual.

How can one man be allowed to determine the fate of an entire state? The choices we have seen from some states could only have come from people suffering from acute state of dementia. It is an insult on the people of those states, and a big shame on the warped judgment of the godfathers. The true identities of members of the selection teams must be leaked for posterity. Even if Dr Jonathan needed to satisfy the insatiable demands of the garrison commanders, he should have insisted on certain criteria to be met, like age, mental alertness, integrity and reputation, education, achievement in chosen career, acclaim to fame, international exposure, personal development, business acumen, worldview, charisma and general appearance.

Nigeria needs its best outstanding stars available at home and abroad at this critical moment because we are far from where we should be. If we have to revert to the carcass of our past the way we do always, it means we are making a violent revolution inevitable. Nigerians have reached the very limit of endurance tests. They should not be made to snap. Those who think Nigerians can be trampled upon with reckless abandon should go back to the history books. Once upon a time, there was slave trade. There was racial prejudice of the worst kind in the United States of America.

The Berlin Wall divided Germany along the lines of atrocious hatred. South Africa suffered the worst form of apartheid known to mankind. The Irish Republic engaged in a self-immolating war of attrition. Hitler attempted to rule the world. The holocaust sought to wipe out the Jews from the surface of the earth. So many other things touched the soul of our universe. But nothing lasts forever. Our collective madness must end someday, one way or the other, but perhaps with cataclysmic dimensions.


Source: www.thisdayonline.com


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The Day After the Revolution - Pendulum By Dele Momodu

It was revolution day last Tuesday, March 16, 2010. Like all great movements in history, the momentous occasion was not foreseen even if foretold. It crept in on us like Yar’Adua in the night. The stage had been set for decades with Nigerian leaders killing the future of our kids with reckless abandon. A vicious cycle of military coups had taught us no lesson. We had learnt nothing from the bloodiest civil war that claimed millions of innocent lives. We seem to have been cursed by the worst leadership famine and pestilence in Africa. Nigerian politicians are of the worst grade. From being one of the greatest nations on earth, Nigeria has been downgraded to a failed state.
 
Whether we love or loathe Ghaddafi, he didn’t say anything new when he said his nonsense about us a few days ago. We’ve already divided our nation into North and South, courtesy of our ruling party. Has Acting President Goodluck Jonathan not been disqualified from contesting next year because of an unconstitutional arrangement that has been concocted to rule out an entire region, no matter the competence of the aspirant? The melodrama of recalling our ambassador was our quintessential style of leaving leprosy to treat eczema.


 The pride and giant of Africa, a country of the most fertile brains in the world, has been reduced to a Lilliput in the comity of nations. Illiteracy has been elevated to an art. Mediocrity has become our way of life. We are the greatest swimmers in the cesspit of corruption. Elsewhere, people do the jobs to steal. In our case, you don’t have to do it at all to rake in the billions. A N63 billion runway is about to be built in a completely rundown airport, built itself about only a decade ago with billions. Our flagship in Lagos, Murtala Mohammed International Airport has remained a shame of the nation, while there is nothing international about the airports in Kano and Port Harcourt. The reason for the abject decadence is not far-fetched. Leaders are usually selected from a database of cronies, and dregs of society, who usually feel appointments into power and government can only be an invitation to treat.  Merit has long gone comatose. Who really cares?
There is always a cast-iron alibi in the name of Quota System, Federal Character, Zoning Formula, all acronyms for backwardness and laziness. God gave us the best. We chose the worst. Civil servants dress to work like Emperors. Those who should serve the people always trample on their fellow citizens. When they build roads, we see depraved minds at work. No drains. No depth. No ambition. All we see is the determination of a few politicians to appropriate what belongs to all for self. No consideration for tomorrow. Money is the new religion, which is good to have but not when it is a stolen item. A thief is a thief, only the weapons differ, either pens or guns.


 The assumption is we don’t deserve any better. The road from Lagos, through Ibadan and Oyo, to Ilorin has remained terrible for decades. Yet our friends in power have not fought with the same frenzy we see when it comes to Federal allocations. They have not deemed it fit to struggle for its transformation and modernisation like we find in Dubai and other serious nations today. Most of these leaders virtually live in Mecca and Jerusalem. But none has seen the necessity to rebuild our cities into paradise on earth. 


Not a single hospital in Nigeria has been fitted to cater for such intensive care that we find in other places because the politicians have unrestricted access to public funds to travel with whenever they and their wards fall sick. They have chosen to treat us as animals of the jungle. Yet all major hospitals abroad parade some of the best and brightest Nigerian doctors, surgeons, nurses and other medical and paramedical personnel. We have lost our most active brains to foreign universities. The few ones remaining at home are those most probably suffering from the incurable virus of patriotism, in a nation where it is no longer fashionable to send kids to Great ABU, Great IFE or Great UNN. Most of the universities are in their various stages of dilapidation. Only about 4,000 out of 0ver 200,000 candidates passed NECO exams according to a news item. It is no longer at ease here.


There must be over 12 generations of unemployed graduates in Nigeria roaming the streets in total dejection and submission today. And those very lucky to be employed are currently losing their jobs in droves. The banks in particular are axing jobs and salaries with a vengeance in this era Lamido Sanusi’s wizardry. Those who have mortgages can no longer pay. School fees are suffering. Electricity continues to play pranks. Diesel has become the most essential commodity in this season of sorrow.  Armageddon is here. 


It was in this frustrating state of hopelessness that the seed of last Tuesday’s revolution was sown. Most Nigerians worldwide have caught this bug of hopeless hopelessness. Everywhere you go, Nigerians are moaning and groaning. Even the rich are crying as their pockets are leaking in torrents. Those living abroad want to come back home but there is no inspiration from this direction. All they get is bad news. 


The Future Youths Awards hosted in Lagos recently was the perfect ground for the sowing of the revolution seeds the world witnessed last Tuesday. I was privileged to be a part of it. Apart from enjoying myself thoroughly at the MUSON Centre venue, I was greatly inspired by the rejuvenating speech of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who challenged the youths to use their numerical strength to torpedo the old norms that have kept us down through the ages. She said statistics have shown over 70 percent of the population are youths. And that it was the nonchalant attitude of the youths that made it possible for the politicians to rig themselves in with impunity. She was emphatic that the youths have no one to blame if the politicians rig themselves into power again. 


The audience erupted in an orgy of thunderous ovation as soon as she ended her speech. We were all fired up. I had always argued that the new pop-culture and technological advancement in the world would deal a fatal blow on useless governments and this was put to test at our rally. I was not too surprised when I got an invitation from MrFixNigeria Ohimai Godwin-Amaize, the founder of BLING Global Network, to join what was aptly tagged the Enough Is Enough Nigeria Group. The Gathering was a coalition of youth organisations, individuals and collectives, aiming to effect peaceful transformation in Nigeria. The beauty of it for me was decision of these patriotic Nigerians to work together. No one allowed ethnicity, religion or gender to play a role in scuttling the brilliant dream. All Nigerians were victims and sufferers who could no longer keep arms akimbo as Nigeria drifted dangerously. 


I accepted the invitation without equivocation. Enough Is Enough Nigeria was a bunch of successful Nigerians who bonded well. Some of them you could describe as silver-spoon kids who got tired of unending troubles in our country. They included Tolu Ogunlesi, a category winner in last year’s CNN Journalist of the Year; star actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, founder of Omotola Youth Empowerment Project; Toyosi Akerele, team Leader of Rise Networks, whose ability to mobilise youths has become legendary; Chude Jideonwo the Creative Director for Redstrat the organisers of the Future Youth Awards; Alkassim Abdulkadir, of BBC World Service Trust; Amara Nwakpa, founder of Light-up Nigeria; Audu Maikori, Chief Executive Officer of Chocolate City Abuja; hardworking Adebola Williams, the Director of Operations for Redsrat; Efe Omoregbe of Now Muzic, Emmanuel Odiase, founder of Smoke Free Foundation; Ogobor Joseph, founder of IREP Naija Foundation; Gbenga Sesan, the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria; Sade Ladipothe CEO of Avienti; Balkiss Adesokan, the publisher of GREEN magazine, and others. There was no way I would have snubbed the company of these great guys.


I was in a meeting with the Area Father Charles Oputa (aka Charly Boy) in my Abuja home when the call came from Ohimai that it was time to join the parade at the Eagle Square. I politely told Uncle Charles we had to terminate our meeting as I was billed to support the Enough Is Enough Nigeria rally. He wondered why I had not told him about it despite spending most of the past 24 hours together. I apologized that it actually escaped me and asked if he’ll honour us with his avuncular presence. Charly Boy, the ever-dependable friend of the masses, agreed and I told my personal assistant Tega Okiti to take Charly Boy to his palace in Gwarimpa because he wanted his superbike for the usual stunts. The dream of a great rally was turning into reality.


At the Eagle Square, I saw a scanty but resolute assemblage which grew by the minutes. I saw Omotola, Stella Damasus, songstress Omawunmi, Muma Gee, and others, and it struck me women were true liberators indeed. The rally soon took off with palpable anxiety. The overbearing presence of security forces didn’t help matters. It was like a journey to Golgotha. And I was in a permanent state of soliloquy. I kept praying against any mishap.


As we crossed the main road and headed towards the monumental National Assembly, I saw a massive detachment of security officers in the horizon. They appeared menacing even in their calmness. I saw the barricade upfront, and wondered why decent Nigerians would be disallowed from getting to the arcade of the National Assembly, which was traditionally reserved for protesters. At the barricade, we were politely told we’ll not be allowed to walk the last stretch to the arcade. We asked for a good reason, and got the reply that the instruction came from above, as usual.


 We opted to seat on the road and block the passage of all vehicles. There was this powerful music booming from our mobile deejay. It was a Fela beat that Omawunmi took to an amazing crescendo. She sang her best song, like the Thornbird would do from her depth of pain. She sang with passion, and we responded with rapturous delight. We sat there for about two hours by which time Charly Boy had joined us. He sat with us on the bare floor. We saw many vehicles turning back. Someone said there was an escape route which we chose to ignore on this occasion. At a stage I told Charly Boy we must offer strong leadership and try to persuade the security forces to allow us in, or force our way in. 
The Sergeant-at-Arms would later come out to throw in a dampener. After trying to dribble us with semantics, he requested that we should hand him “all instruments of peace we’ve brought”, which many misconstrued as “weapons”. The obviously smart man wanted to receive the letters of complaints on behalf of the principal officers of the National Assembly though he had earlier told us he did not work directly with them. After that move failed, Charly Boy and I moved towards the barricade. I told the officers that since all entreaties had failed, and we were scandalised at the manner our celebrated actresses and celebrities were made to look like common criminals, our decision was to move to the last option.


I must have been inspired by those footages I saw on CNN from the freedom rallies in the Middle East, Asia and Europe, and felt it was time to tell the world our story of valour. We’ve read of such stories in the history of Nigeria and wondered at what stage men stopped being men in our climes. No one was going to end this rally without a powerful drama. As I tried to cut through the police cordon, I felt a hand on my throat. One other grabbed my shirt. The whole place was now in a state of commotion. I heard a cacophony of voices around me and felt a blistering push at the barricade. Before my very eyes, and with a glowing pride, the wall of Jericho fell. And the massive crowd spilled like locusts in all directions. The police threatened a few people. One of them even held his pistol ready to shoot Audu Maikori. Our valiant brother told him to go ahead. That picture is all over the internet telling many tales of the struggle. Like the Mau Mau struggle in Kenya, people’s power won the day. At that stage we had achieved what seemed impossible. Everyone including the police hailed us as we marched forward. The protest was being streamed live on the internet and radio. I received messages from friends watching us in the United States and Europe. They were all expressing their solidarity with our mission.
Expectedly, the main gates of the National Assembly were firmly locked. We knew we had made our point that enough was enough, and should end the rally.  By evening, the great trek was all over the air including CNN and our own ubiquitous Sahareporters that served the juicy photographs fresh. It was a rude awakening of the limitless possibilities now available to our youths.


As fate would have it, the day after the revolution, Acting President Jonathan surprised the nation with the dissolution of the Federal Executive Council. It offers new windows and fresh air to a New Dawn, if the hawks can be ignored for once. Time will tell.