Date Published: 06/08/09
Obama, PDP and the Supposed Conspiracy Theory
By Norris Benedict
When I did my piece, ‘Yet, Another Airforce One Trajects Over Nigeria’ last two weeks, I got a good number of responses despite the fact that I didn’t provide my address on that occasion. While a lot of the responses were supportive which I would not dwell on, a lot too where critical and I will briefly dwell on the critics some of who viewed my claims made therein as ‘baseless’, ‘flimsy’, ‘crying wolf where there was none’ and ‘a waste of intellect’.
Some accused me of writing with the mindset of disparaging the current government. In brief, one Rabiu Ibrahim pointedly told me that I should readjust my consciousness as Yar’adua would emerge victorious 2011 whether or not Obama likes it. Chike Nwosu advised me to ‘stop being delusional’ and advised I blame the US for not according Nigeria its due respect despite its being the third largest supplier after Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, he also went ahead to remind me that the relative peace his home state of Anambra is currently enjoying is traceable to the atmosphere Yar’adua created adding that for that reason he would personally mobilize 800 voters for Yar’adua come 2011. Musa Bashir Usman with all due respect wrote and identified with my perspective but concluded by asserting I lacked respect for Northern leaders.
I apologize to these gentlemen for quoting them publicly without any previous clarification, but to Rabiu Ibrahim I couldn’t find any adequate response because I understood he meant the machinery of rigging will emerge victorious come 2011 and I couldn’t condescend to an exchange with such a proponent. For Chike Nwosu, I respectfully pleaded my innocence from the delusionary tag while I urged him to watch the political space as the insecure PDP government which earlier nagged over its G20 exclusion would soon come up with a confused claim that will justify my piece; I also reminded him that Nigeria is still were it is today because the electorate are yet to shed the mindset that the provisions of a peaceful enabling environment, amenities and infrastructures by the leadership are strong points of a good leader as against the fact these are basic musts for which a government exists to provide and maintain in the first place.
To Musa Bashir Usman whom I had a good but brief dialogue with, I acknowledge his wonderful rejoinder but referred him to a number of my articles reminding him that my best candidates for the Nigerian Presidency remains Muhamadu Buhari and Nuhu Ribadu amongst a few and that would not have being possible if I had sacrificed my person on the altar of primordial ethnic sentiments or financial gratification. I must state that Musa wrote me back to withdraw his previous accusation stating he labeled me such because of my articles position on Abacha, Shagari and Yar’adua amongst so many other former Heads of State. Musa Usman fits into my perfect wish for an average Nigerian i.e. that rare ability to engage in an intellectual exchange without bitterness and hatred.
One Senior Fyneface a Bayelsa based blogger once accused me of taking sides against the south south leaders after he read my piece - ‘Did Oga Briggs thief the camera’. Fyneface later prayed God to forgive me for failing to respect the people above me. I wonder if he was praying forgiveness for my being alarmed at the effrontery of a Federal Director to steal in far away China, besides I was at a loss as to who was above me.
I wasn’t surprised though from all these ethnic accusations excluding that of Musa, it has become the stock in trade for aggrieved persons to hang on to bigotry and ethnicity as diversionary antics in preference against a stimulating intellectual exchange. This same mentality is primary to the berth of thuggery, sharp hatred and murder on our shores.
However, back to the real issues, I am pleased that the perspectives reflected in that piece of mine and that of a host of others have being vindicated going by the happenings of the past week.
Last week no other person but the PDP deputy chairman Bello Mohammed, a senior figure in the regime mounted the podium in obvious frustration and in a widely circulated press statement accused the United State government of hobnobbing with the Nigerian opposition figures to destabilize the government. He claimed they were meant to meet up with President Obama in Ghana were a conspiracy is to be hatched on how the government would be derailed. He couldn’t name the names of the people involved in the plot but anyone following the Nigeria situation closely can clearly interpret who the ‘failed presidential candidate’, ‘two former senate presidents’ and ‘sprinkling of political hangers on’ were respectively. With this the ‘government’ of the day had already alluded to the fact that all was not well.
The next day being the 1 st day of June, the inept Federal Government in its usual very confused manner and probably confirming the gravity of this latest foolery after a rejoinder from the US State department and Embassy, adopted to face save; its media outfit Thisday Newspapers, Ojo Maduekwe and Vin Ogbulafor were assigned to disown Bello Mohammed. Ojo and Vin labeled Belo’s statement personal and careless while Thisday tagged him the latest but inaccurate Wada Nas of the current experiment called government.
But some of us cannot be fooled by such, indeed Bello Mohammed was not on his own, he definitely read a speech prepared and monitored in Aso Rock. He is not crazy to have made such a highly implicating and weighty allegation without the backing of his alter egos in the regime.
Senior members of the government are indeed conceding the fact the allegation was sold mafia like to vent a belated frustration of the government after being shunned by the G20, being refused a visit to White House and the latest - being ‘trajected’ over by yet another US President.
A number of bloggers and commentators have posted statements seeming to say what is in a ‘normal visit’ by a US President and asserted Obama can go to blazes as his visit is of no material importance, but such naïve sentiments always float in a space were Ghana must go bags are preferred as materials of importance, a space were the leadership has failed to educate its citizenship on the etiquettes and implications of international diplomacy. It is a similar case of self denial for one to attempt to conclude there is nothing to the visit of Obama to Ghana as the ‘most trusted sub Saharan partner’ despite all the lobbying and requests by the Nigerian regime.
I think no matter the wishy washy attempt by Farida Waziri’s contrated writers and other hatchet hirelings to present a hollow argument on the current situation, it would definitely not stand its feet as the people whom they pretend to write for are proving that indeed all is not well going by the latest snub.
Nigeria is of strategic importance to the States but for the past 10 years it has not being complemented with an identifying visit (not even the Secretary of State). You can’t reconcile such a disparity. The whole first family (Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton) graced Nigeria in the early years of the Obasanjo administration and stayed for days, visiting rural areas and mingling freely because then Nigeria had just taking back its rightful position in the comity of nations and was a beautiful bride; but then Obasanjo turned into a monster, bastardized the nation leaving behind a lame duck and of course Nigeria is now attractive to neophytes and never do wells like Faure Eyadema of Togo who feel well placed to lecture the ‘giant of Africa’ on how best to run its affairs.
This is the crux of the matter and it is clear a diplomatic message is being sent to Abuja to sit up and clean up its acts; any thoughts or submissions besides this is welcome in a world of free speech but is jaundiced or rather shortsighted at its best.
London
fsixteens@gmail.com
