Date Published: 07/19/09
ABIA: A STATE WITHOUT A GOVERNMENT IN THE REAL SENSE OF IT (WITH PICTORIALS) PART 2
By Temple Chima Ubochi
ubochit@yahoo.com
Bonn, Germany
You can't get rich in politics unless you're a crook. (Harry S. Truman)
The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded. (C. L. De Montesquieu)
No people is wholly civilized where a distinction is drawn between stealing an office and stealing a purse. (Theodore Roosevelt)
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr)
The okada operators in Abia State got an order from the Federal High Court, Umuahia, restraining the Abia State Government and its agents from molesting them, pending the determination of the suit.
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The Okada operators displaying the injunction from the court |
But, we learnt that Theodore Ahamefula Orji, the governor of Abia State is defying the order of the Federal High Court, restraining him, the police, the Bakassi boys and others from arresting, detaining and harassing commercial motor cycle operators, popularly known as okada. We were also told that the government has ordered the police and the Bakassi boys to arrest and smash any okada found operating in the state and that no fewer than 2000 okadas have been confiscated by them. The politicians invoke the rule of law only when it suits their purpose, but, when that will benefit others, they elect to ignore the much touted mantra.
For every loss, someone must gain; as Abia State losses, Kalu, his family and cronies gain. Some might question what immediate past governor got to do with the present one or the condition of the state? The answer is that T.A.Orji was part of Kalu’s regime, because as the then chief of staff, he was privy to the looting and embezzlement of Abia State resources by Kalu for 8 years. That was why the EFCC charged him to court and incarcerated him in 2007, because he was the person Kalu used to do all the dirty dealings.
Abia State has been in-for-rough ride for about ten years now. Orji Uzor Kalu, his mother and family pocketed the state and have stifled its development. The state is now a jungle, Aba is now a city of dung, a stinking city. Anybody visiting Aba now after so many years will never recognise the “ Enyimba City” again. There are no motorable roads in Aba, refuse dumps are competing with human beings for space, putrefying odours fill the air, kidnapping is rampant, there is no sign of government anywhere, the Aba South local Government fails in its responsibilities because the “powers that be” will not allow the council funds to be used in the service of the people. Imagine the local government failing to pay its staff for months. These people working for the council have families to take care of, bills to pay; think of what some of these people will do at the end of each month whenever their landlord comes to collect the house rent? Still the politicians and their god fathers and mother (Kalu’s mother) are not perturbed.
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Some of the Okada operators listening to one of the volunteers helping them with the legal proceedings |
Let’s see how the present and the immediate past governors do still inter-relate and why the state is in such a precarious condition: Orji Uzor Kalu after stealing the state dry for eight years, handed over to his stooge, Theo A. Orji. And to keep a tab on him, Kalu installed his junior brother, Mascot Kalu, as the chief of staff to the incumbent governor. So Orji Uzor Kalu and his mother are still ruling Abia State, suffice it to say that the duo is still the hands moving everything from behind the curtains. For those who are unaware of this: Since May 2007, Orji Uzor Kalu and mother shared Abia State between themselves, with the son controlling the state at the state-level while the mother is controlling the state at the local government level, so they pocketed the two tiers of government in the state. Whenever the state allocation comes, the governor passes it over to Orji Uzor Kalu, who will then take the lion’s share of the allocation and will hand over the remaining “peanut” back to the governor who then will not have enough funds to carry out the government’s responsibilities. At the local government level: When the allocation comes, each local government chairman will surround it to Kalu’s mother, who will cut the lion’s share and will hand back a little thing to the local council that will not be enough for them to survive on and to live up to their respective responsibilities. That’s why the LGAs are owing salary arrears to the staff, cannot maintain any road, cannot clear the mountains of refuse in their areas of jurisdiction etc. It might interest the reader to know that Kalu’s mother personally handpicked and installed all the 17 local government chairmen and the numerous councillors in the state. Think of how many councillors the 17 LGAs in the state have, but, this woman knows each and every one of them in person, because she made it possible for them to “win” the farce called election held in January 2008.
This writer witnessed the Abia State local government election held on January 19, 2008 (I hope the date is accurate), because he was in Nigeria then. Even this writer’s ward councillor had an audience with Mrs. Eunice Kalu, Orji Uzor Kalu’s mother, who personally approved his candidacy after he must have accepted her condition, and this was the case with all those who contested the local government chairmanship and councillorship positions under the banner of PPA in all the 17 local government areas of the state. On the Election Day, this writer heard sporadic gun fires at the polling stations and cases of ballot stuffing and snatching was rampant.
Anybody thinking that Orji Uzor Kalu had hands off from governing Abia State is living in a fool’s paradise or in a limbo. T.A.Orji he installed as the governor is taking orders from him and the mother. Having sworn a deadly and unholy oath, if he renegades, “will not survive it”!
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A cross-section of the motorcyclists discussing their next move with frustration and anger written all over their faces |
Orji Uzor Kalu and his mother have managed to keep the Abia State politicians in the two tiers of government under spell by subjecting them to oath taking. The politicians are forced to take oaths, thereby pledging loyalty to the godfather or god mother and then relegating their executive and legislative duties and the well being of their constituencies to the back burner. We saw how the Abia state Governor, T.A. Orji lost his dignity by going naked in a shrine where he was taken to swear and pledge his loyalty to the Kalus. That was the same thing that happened to a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Mr. Wale Alausa, whose nude picture appeared in a newspaper on June 29, 2009, where he was swearing an oath. Alausa, who represents Ijebu-Ode State Constituency, also confessed that he was intimidated and threatened before he took the oath, which he added he did for Governor Gbenga Daniel. He stated further: “I took the oath. I was harassed, intimidated and forced to take the oath when the pressure was too much. The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona was involved. Other prominent traditional rulers and prominent people also know about it. Ask the Awujale, he knows about it. They put pressure on me through my father. There was assassination attempt. There was a kidnapping attempt on my nephews, children of my younger brother. It was such a terrible thing. I could not do otherwise because there was real threat to my life. There were several gun shots in front of my father's house in Ijebu-Ode, Alhaji Agboola Alausa, who is the Ogun East Senatorial chairman. The photograph was taken in Daniel's toilet and bathroom.”
Alausa, who is one of the G.15 opposed to the governor, added that members of the Group of 11 took the same oath and that their photographs were in custody of Governor Daniel. He stated further: “I took the oath on the day Titi Oseni was impeached as speaker that was why I was not at plenary session that day. While the sitting was going on, I was taking the oath. I was deceived”.
The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Samson Tunji Egbetokun, also disclosed that no less than twenty-two members of the Peoples Democratic Party, who are top notch, took oath of allegiance to the Governor, Gbenga Daniel. This writer is disturbed that even our royal fathers have sold the sanctity of the institution they represent for pittance by becoming accomplices to heinous crimes. Nigeria is in big trouble.
This writer learnt that as the oath-taking drama between Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State and some members of the state House of Assembly (G15) continues to unfold, the Chairman of the Ogun State House Committee on Information, Hon. Tokunbo Oshin, also disclosed that the group has photographs of the governor taking traditional oath naked.
Oath taking under whatever pretence is evil; anybody subjecting others to oath taking is a devil. Yar’Adua not too long ago, subjected his Aso Rock staff to oath taking because they exposed the pictures showing the antics of his wayward sons, like father like sons.
Abia State that’s supposed to be “God’s Own State” is now a devil’s paradise. Abia State is so devilish that even a local councillor is made to take oath before Kalu’s mother pledging loyalty and not to block her unfettered access to the 17 local government areas’ finances.
This writer read from Daily Independent Newspapers of Friday, March 27, 2009 , how the Chairman of Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State, Okezie Clement Erondu, explained that reduction in the statutory allocation to the council had slowed down the rate of progress, which his administration had marshalled for the area. According to him, his administration had received two allocations from the excess crude fund, adding that even before it was handed out to council chairmen the governor had tied it to projects. Yes of course, the chairman was telling us what many of us know and that is, that the governor in connivance with Orji Uzor Kalu and his mother, misappropriate the local governments’ allocation even before it gets to the local governments. What project was the chairman of Aba South LGA talking about that the allocation was tied to, if not the project of “sustaining the looting sprees of Orji Uzor Kalu and his mother”?
The Aba South LGA chairman also called for an increase in the allocation to the council, as the amount it (the council) gets now was barely enough to pay salary especially. Of course; how can the amount be enough when Kalu and mother cut the lion share out of it? Nobody eats his/her cake and still have it.
The Daily Independent Newspapers of Sunday, November 23, 2008 lent credence to this point when it wrote: Meddling by Governors in the disbursement of statutory allocations to local government areas has been identified as the major reason the third tier of government has performed below expectation since the re-introduction of democracy in 1999. That states across the country revealed that some Governors deny local government chairmen access to their allocation from the Federation Account, which effectively paralyses development at the grassroots level.
In another breadth, several Governors and their godfathers often install their loyalists as local government chairmen and councillors to ensure these officials are under their firm control. This writer is joining the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), in accusing state governors, most especially the one of Abia State, of hijacking the funds meant for development at the local government level in the country. The National Assembly should expedite the process of constitutional review with a view to granting the 774 local governments in the country autonomy. It is clear that the slow pace or lack of development at the local government level is due to inadequate funds made available to them by the state governments. There is inconsistency in the local government administration that should spur the National Assembly into action in order to harmonise the laws governing the system, because, to be in the same country and operate under 36 laws smacks of inane stupidity.
The major bane of development at the rural level of Abia State has been the undue interference by the state governor in the affairs of the local governments. There is need to amend the constitution, so that the local councils would begin to get their allocation direct from the Federation Account, because the state governments have been tampering with their local governments’ funds through the joint account and the (state governments) has over the years, proved to be nothing but conduit pipes for siphoning funds accruing to local governments in the Federation Account. The joint account was meant to be a pool for distribution of allocations but one finds out that if a local government is given about N100 million, at the end of the day, what that will trickle to it will be only N40 million and people will be blaming those at the local government for lack of performance. The public will complain that their chairman is not doing anything, but do not know that if he complains over the money given to him, then, he will be in trouble. He will not get his second term ticket and the governor, or in the case of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu and mother, will begin to sponsor his impeachment. That’s the problem. The Federal Government sends money but the governors hijack it.
The Abia State politicians are then not answerable to the people because none of them voted them in, they care less about the people and for them, it matters not whether the people survive or perish as long as their political god father and mother are happy with them. Orji Uzor Kalu “ruled” the state for eight year, but, this writer is not sure whether he constructed a single new road in Aba, the commercial nerve centre and the city that “lays the golden eggs” for the state within that period. Aba has one of the biggest markets in Africa and do generate internal revenue for the state more than all the other towns in the state put together, the oil wells which make the state one of the oil producing states of Nigeria are in Aba zone. Still the government takes everything without ploughing anything back to the town.
Aba Town is a microcosm of the larger Igbo society in that all the towns/villages in Igbo land have at least one of its indigenes living and plying his or her trade in Aba. Even Ghanaians, Cameroonians etc, can be seen in large numbers in the town. Aba is not a problem for the Ngwa people (the owners) alone. We all from the Igbo States have relatives living, working or doing business in Aba; whatever that affects those relatives of ours, also affects us directly or indirectly. We all should join hands in asking the politicians to clean up the town. Though the Ngwa people are the owners of Aba, but, the non-indigenes have gained more from the wealth generating prowess of the town than the owners. Many came to Aba in penury, but, today are millionaires, so all hands must be on deck to salvage the wealthy-making town from the rotten state the immediate past and present governors consigned it to.
This writer is appealing to Igbo people with conscience not to let “ Aba to Die”: Aba epitomises Igbo honour, pride, strength and courage, but, is now endangered and should be saved by all means. Indigenes and non-indigenes alike have a stake in it and should join hands together to save it from further decay. Nobody knows whose effort that will produce the desired effect, as the Igbos say “that nobody knows the pregnancy that will produce a king (odighi onye ma afo ime g’amu eze)”. Let’s not squint at Aba problems.
What Orji Uzor Kalu did as the governor was that whenever President Obasanjo was visiting Abia State, he refurbished old roads constructed by Sam Mbakwe, when the state was still part of Imo State, and presented it to the visiting president as newly constructed ones for commissioning. What a deceit? The annoying part of it all is that Orji Uzor Kalu is still going about, making noise in Nigeria, displaying holy-than-thou attitude when he is one of the most devilish and corrupt human beings that walks the face of Nigeria. He had the audacity to ask what went wrong with Nigeria. Why and how did we allow imbeciles to be taking us for a jolly ride in Nigeria?
Because the Abia State politicians were not elected (but selected) and therefore are not answerable to the people, they fail to construct new roads or to maintain the old ones. In Aba, one hardly sees a kilometre-stretch of road that is in a perfect condition; the politicians create no jobs, that’s why armed robbery, kidnapping, commercial motorcycling are the trademarks of the state in general and Aba Town in particular.
Abia state that was peaceful before Orji Uzor Kalu came on the scene as the governor, is now a den of armed robbers, kidnappers, all sorts of criminals, ritualists. The people looked up to their then governor (Kalu) and the present one (Orji) and decided to follow on their heels, because they (kalu and Orji) being “darkness”, can only breed more darkness. There is no way darkness and light can be friends; there is no way a dove and a vulture can be chums.
Before Orji Uzor Kalu became the governor, there were no extra judicial killings in the state, but, since his tenure till now, the people are living in fear, Kalu unleashed his pet dogs, the Bakassi boys, on his perceived real and imagined enemies. The Bakassi boys engage in extortions, intimidations, killings, man handlings and collection of illegal levies from the people of the state. Let’s not forget the people they killed at Orie Ohabiam market situated along Port Harcourt Road, Aba by locking them up in ventless stores. When those dead bodies were discovered, their private and other vital organs were missing.
Kalu became the governor and the state changed from “God’s Own State to Devil’s Own Fiefdom”. Kalu became governor and the role of the first lady was usurped by his mother who became the “Mother Excellency” whatever that means? (the only state in Nigeria with such designation) while Kalu’s wife, Ifeoma, was “shipped” out to USA as a psychiatry patient.
Kalu became the governor and moved from zero to an owner of a multi-billion naira business empire: He still has about 200-count corruption charges hanging on his neck in an Abuja Court. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) just released the names of 56 Nigerians it alleged collectively removed over N243 billion from the nation’s treasury.
Among the suspects is Orji Uzor Kalu, accused of stealing N5 billion from Abia state. But this writer is telling Waziri’s EFCC that it failed to do its homework well. Kalu stole more than that amount. When compared to what Kalu actually stole from the state, N5 billion pales into insignificance, that’s just a peanut to what that guy removed from the state’s coffer.
A question for Ms. Waziri is: Some of the politicians who removed the over N243 billion from the nation’s treasury was charged to court by Ribadu’s EFCC about two years ago, why is it that none of them has been convicted and sent to jail where they all should be cooling off? And why is it that James Ibori, who is one of the greatest looters ever to walk the face of Nigeria, is not in that list? This writer smells a cover up and that’s why the war against corruption isn’t going anywhere. All the same, let’s look at what happened and is still happening to Abia state funds.
You might recall that Kalu is facing trial for laundering N3.1bn and was granted bail on July 27, 2007 as he was made to deposit his international passport with the court, provide N100m bond deposit in a bank and two sureties in like sum. The Vanguard Newspapers of Wednesday, February 25, 2009 with the caption "How ex-Gov Kalu diverted N5bn Abia funds-EFCC" wrote that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) gave details, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, of how the immediate past governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, diverted the state fund totalling N5 billion, in 36 instalments into the account of Slok Nigeria Limited during his tenure.
We were told by the EFCC that Kalu, as the governor of Abia State between 1999 and 2007, was in the habit of stealing the state fund each time the monthly allocation of the state government was released by the Federal Government. He handed over power to Chief Theodore Orji who was his Chief of Staff, and who the EFCC also fingered as the principal facilitator of the looting of Abia State treasury by his predecessor, Orji Kalu. T.A.Orji was in jail when the governorship election was held, he never campaigned ,but, due to corrupt judiciary, he was granted bail by the Court of Appeal which enabled him to get over the 100-count charge of money laundering and financial crimes hanging on his neck to be sworn in as Governor.
Mr. Jacobs, the EFCC counsel, said that Kalu could not deny knowledge of the money transfer into Slok account when he was the one dispensing it. That what he (Kalu) did at the time he was in government was that immediately the monthly allocations for state government came, the Chief of Staff (Theodore Orji) would give directive to the Director of Finance to raise cheque in the name of the State House cashier, Mr. M A Udoh for whatever amount of money they intended to launder for the then governor (Orji Kalu).The cheque raised is taken to the bank where it is converted to cash. After this, they will now lodge the cash into the account of a private company which deals in the sale of Okrika owned by Ude who is a co-accused person in this matter, who in turn raised a draft payable into the account of Slok Nigeria Limited at the Apapa branch of Inland Bank in Lagos. They transferred different sums of monies totalling N5billion into Slok's account 36 times".
In 2006 the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) named Orji Uzor Kalu, in money laundering scandal involving the sum of N3.2 billion. Nuhu Ribadu while testifying before the senate that year, said that Abia State was number one in established cases of stealing, money laundering and diversion of funds adding that the then Governor used his mother, wife and brother to divert N35 billion, I REPEAT, N35 billion, to build his business empire including Slok Airlines, Slok pharmaceuticals and a Newspaper house. This is a state that has no good roads but mountains of refuse with nobody caring to clear them. Kalu tampered with the local governments fund and in some cases gave some local governments only thirty-three percent of their due shares while keeping the rest for self. That compromised many of the LGAs responsibilities.
In April 2008, the EFCC slammed another 112-count charges against kalu after discovering that he (Kalu) embezzled more money than anybody originally realised of. The Punch Newspapers of May 1, 2008 with the caption "Kalu transferred N887m to Slok's account in one day - EFCC" wrote:
"The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday ( April 30, 2008) filed a fresh 112-count charge against a former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu.
In the charge sheet, the EFCC said Kalu transferred N887m to the account of Slok Nigeria Limited on August 2, 2005.
Charged with the former governor were his mother, Eunice, a Permanent Secretary in Abia State, Mr. Udeh James, and one Mr. Emeka Abone, who are said to be at large.
Slok, which the former governor is believed to have a major stake in, was also charged.
In count one, Kalu was charged with transferring N75m into Slok's account while in count two, he was accused of retaining N31m in the firm's account.
Count three said he transferred N30m to Slok.
Count four read that the former governor procured Slok to illegally retain N50m belonging to the state while another N100m was retained illegally.
On June 7, 2005, he allegedly transferred N4.8m to Slok; on March 6, 2005, N4.5m; and N30m on April 7, 2005.
Several other millions of naira were allegedly transferred by him from the Abia State’s coffer to Slok's accounts in various banks in 2005.
Now, kalu is being accused of laundering N 5 billion into his company with the help of his stooge, the incumbent governor of Abia State.
T.A. Orji was the chief of staff to Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and did all his dirty job of money laundering for him; that made kalu to falsely claim that he never knew that his chief of staff and others were laundering money into his account when he (kalu) was charged to court for corruptly enriching himself. That chiefs of staff do the dirty jobs for their boss, at least in Abia State, made Orji Uzor Kalu to install his younger brother, Mascot Kalu, as the chief of staff to his stooge, the present governor of Abia State, T.A. Orji, so that Mascot will continue representing his (Orji Kalu’s) interest by laundering Abia State resources into his account. Mascot was also installed to whip the governor, T.A. Orji, into line and to keep a watch over him to make sure the governor will continue to dance to the tune of his godfather and will honour all the agreements he signed and oaths he swore to before he was made the governor.
Look at it this way: T.A. Orji, who is the governor of Abia State, was the chief of staff and did the money laundering for Kalu from 1999 to 2007, Kalu stepped aside and installed his chief of staff as the governor and appointed his younger brother as the chief of staff. The plan is for the incumbent governor to hand over to Kalu’s junior brother when his (T.A.Orji´s) tenure expires, meaning that the plan is for the governorship position of Abia State to be going round in a circle in the hands of the Kalus and their stooges. Will Ndi Abia allow that to happen? We will see!
Kalu became the governor, then Abia state turned from a potential viable and promising state to one of the poorest in Nigeria despite the fact that it is one of the few oil producing states in Nigeria.
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It is only a joke, nobody should take it personal |
Before kalu became the governor, a traditional ruler In Abia State had upto 12 villages under his jurisdiction, but, Kalu, for his political increments and ulterior motive, made almost every village a traditional kingdom with a traditional ruler. Kalu politicised the traditional institution in the state and imposed men of queer character (bad persons) in the areas as traditional rulers. Kalu made the tussle for the traditional throne to be deadly and fiercely fought, in which every means available, be it fetish, diabolical, intimidation, harassment, kidnapping and killing, are being employed by opponents to outwit each other. Kalu bastardised and debased the sacrosanct institution.
The Aba South LGA chairman in the same Daily Independent Newspapers of Friday, March 27, 2009, also said that his administration bought not less than 10 Xterra jeeps for traditional rulers in the area to save them the embarrassment of patronising commercial motorcyclists to attend meetings and other engagements. That’s how those thieves calling themselves traditional rulers who were installed by Orji Uzor Kalu, are intimidating every successive chairman of the local government into buying them vehicles and giving them monthly monetary and material gifts. When Mr. Duru was the chairman of the local government, he bought each of those crooks camouflaging as traditional rulers a Mercedes V-boot car and this present chairman had also bought for each of them a jeep. So which embarrassment of patronising commercial motorcyclists to attend meetings and other engagements did Mr. Erondu tried to save the traditional rulers from, when one of his predecessors bought them a V-boot car each? Those traditional rulers are the people who sold the indigenous people for pittance making the area to be represented by non-indigenes in many elective posts and these non-indigenes have no interest of their constituency at heart because there is not their native area, so they can afford to leave the constituency in a mess as they will surely return to their native area one day. It is only in Aba that non-indigenes are elected to elective posts in the whole of Nigeria and the traditional rulers are the major facilitators of this because they sell their conscience to the highest bidder.
This writer is sure that Dr. Okorie (Macro) who took over from G.C. Duru as the chairman of the local government did something for those hungry people parading themselves as traditional rulers. One always sees those traditional rulers hanging around at the Aba South Local Government Secretariat, looking for one favour or the other from the chairman and other principal officers of the council.
What role are those traditional rulers playing to warrant their receipt of those vehicles, material and monetary gifts? None, virtually none other than working against the interests, wishes and aspirations of their subjects, and helping in making “Aba The City of Dung”! The money used in purchasing those vehicles every successive chairman of the local government gives away to those men of low virtues calling themselves “Ndi Eze” and other gifts they receive, could go a long way in solving one problem or the other that would benefit all the people of the area. The chairman takes care of those traditional rulers and goes to “sleep” as he has settled the “royal representatives” of the people and is then insulated from criticisms for non-performance, because, the royal fathers’ “insurance” covers him. Blame it on Orji Uzor Kalu; he made people like himself traditional rulers, they became his praise singers and conferred on him bogus chieftaincy titles.
From the time kalu became the governor till now, many Abians turned from God loving and fearing people to daredevils and the state is a constant ritual performing one with all parts of it (the state) having ritual paraphernalia littering around.
All the industries Kalu inherited as governor went obsolete and moribund, by now, none is functioning. All the good roads Kalu met as governor, are now pot hole ridden and impassable. Some of the private businesses which were flourishing before Kalu became governor, have now packed up while others are just struggling, barely hanging on, due to his (Kalu) not providing the enabling environment for other businesses other than his, to continue thriving.
This writer will publish the responses to the Part 1 of this article at the end of the series because of time and space, I hope all concerned will bear with me.
This part of the article is going to end on a lighter note. Despite the agony, pains, frustrations, anger, boiling blood etc brought about by the condition of things in Nigeria, let’s ease and lighten up a bit. Here is something to lighten your mood: Look at this picture of President Yar’Adua with other heads of government during the G-8 summit in Italy. What was the president searching on the ground, what did he lose down there, why was he looking down instead of looking up to the cameras like his counterparts?
You know that Italy produces some of the finest shoes in the world, Right?
You know what mallams do to shoes in Nigeria, Right?
You know that our president is a Mallam, Right?
President YarÁdua was thinking about “what shoe polish can do to those shoes worn by the other heads of government in the picture”. He was thinking how those shoes worn by his counterparts will look like if he gets the chance to handle them by polishing them up. He was imagining whether those shoes of the other heads of government were made from real or fake leathers. Given the chance, he would not mind stooping down to feel those shoes. If given the chance, our president would have as well breached protocols by asking his fellow heads of government to remove their shoes so that after polishing them, he will cut their nails. Mallam is Mallam everywhere. My people say “no matter how well you feed a dog with other kinds of food, it will not make it to look away whenever it sees faeces (odighi ihe emechara nkita, anya apuya n’nshi)”.
To be continued
This writer strongly recommends all to read more about Aba by using the link:
http://odili.net/news/source/2009/mar/22/704.html
THE THANXS IS ALL YOURS!!!
