LETTER TO BABA ON THE STATE OF DANIEL’S OGUN

Dear Baba,

I am indeed constrained to write you through this medium on the gathering riddles surrounding the man at the helm of affairs in dear Ogun State of Nigeria - Gbenga Daniel. This is because you are now home from your battles, most of which you won in styles but some of them being turned pyrrhic in substance now.

Before going into the main reason why this letter has to be done, here are some reminders, which as usual with your well known penchant, could be unnecessary digression. These reminders are not sir, it is part of what led our State, nay our country to this seeming alley which you, along with others have caused the unfortunate country.

You, like your other buddies or business partners have chosen personal vendetta over national interest, personal ego over group interest and have several times reduced governance to a ridiculous ego boosting parlance where out of nothing comes nothing.

This is why we have a lot of grafters and vagabonds in power all over the country and as lawmakers since 2003 when stealing of the ballot has witnessed new styles.

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Daniel in Ogun was faced with many stealing issues from your EFCC but you chose to ignore this because he was a favored boy doing his master’s wish. Times have since changed, you are now being bashed all over the world for fooling the world for so long as a democrat whereas you are never one. Your good boys have suddenly moved to the center of power because they now
see you as no longer in authority, though still with some power. These boys, including Daniel, see themselves as not just in power but also in some authority, and see no reason why they should continue to pee in their pants because of the baba who has lost his bites or barks. Daniel is believed to have fallen into trouble for thinking that all suspended sins could be forgotten or obliterated even when Nuhu Ribadu has been pushed aside. He needs to be reminded that he lives in the same neighborhood with you, and a lion may lose his voice but not in his neighborhood.

Probably, part of the reasons why a lot of folks are now pointing accusing fingers at you for creating all the troubles for your boy - Daniel whose dance steps seem to be too fast for you. He seems to have now believed that you are no longer in power and so not in authority. We, the watching populace, far away from your circle of elites and power mongers or movers believe that when two elephants as both of you are, begin cold wars, it is enough signal for the passer-by or “the grass” to take cover to avoid stray bullets.

The people continue to wonder whether the hens are suddenly coming home to roost for your boy. He has been involved in many ugly debacles but like the cat with nine lives, survived. Partly because he was a good boy while you were in power, especially with your ‘do or die’ style of helping legislators to disappear into either Abuja or Lagos to remove disobedient boys. Or your occasional use of the Police to maim and tear-gas opponents into submission or some other times as in the case of dear Oyi, formerly of your party, to death.

Who would dare your all conquering power, brutal force and unforgiving anger? Not me! Except that Lagos boy who could hide behind the unbendable, sophisticated Lagos ‘sovereign’ populace to dare you. His people (your people too) were made to suffer for this. Funds constitutionally allocated to them were seized with your fiat. You were the State just like King Louis of France, and except for the Lagos and Abia stubborn boys, it was “feeemmm”, no words from other so called executive boys. There is no doubt that some of these boys of yours were simply out of this world with the alacrity used, and still being employed to amass wealth from the coffers of their respective states. The Ekiti boy even had the audacity to say that the poultry used to swindle the book- sedated Ekiti Kete bought all the sick chickens from your Otta!  Stories were told of how you were scared to deal with him until your friends began to feel the heat from the pain in the neck for Oni in Ekiti .

Is it true that you instructed the all toes marching Nuhu Ribadu to remove some names from his list of stealing governors because they have settled with stocks or sufficient interests in post retirement days? The oil state of Rivers was reported to have made adequate returns and the boy in charge considered as a worthy successor until the irritant Ribadu came up with the litany of grafts against him. Now, the whole Ogun need you to urgently listen to the war mongering between your (?) boy and the awakening Assemblymen who hitherto were just rubber stamping all actions and inactions of Gbenga Daniel of our dear Ogun State.

Personal interests and business must be involved, but sir, this is the enlightened Ogun from where the guy who died for you to reap came from. This is one of the leading lights in Nigeria from where the lawyers rooted out. Is it possible for Ogun to make nonsense of the adage that you can not fool all the people, all the time?

Sir, this is not to apportion blames yet, or to find Mr. Daniel guilty. The popular adage in the Yoruba elders’ parlance says that “ if it has four legs, on the ground at the same time, it looks lie an animal”. Could Daniel be guilty of all the offences linked to him? He has been accused of high grafts and this has been going on since 2004. Is the state so much asleep that this could go on for this long? Or could it be as a result of his cleverness of appeasing all the big mouths? He has suddenly become the future Awo to some people while you also once described him as your true son who deserved a second term.

Sir, we know from experience that some in leadership could not hear clearly nor see very well until circumstances make them come down the ladder. Honest and objective ideas get ignored once they are up there because of either power blindness or deafness. Reason why one of your former colleagues in power was described as deaf and dumb.  Let me clarify this, sir. Remember you once wrote lethal pieces against some economic programs of both civilian and military government that came after you. We all thought that your return to power would bring a different man, who had seen the light. No, you were even worse than the military guy who is laughing now.

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The whole Ogun need your expertise today. The man who replaced you is different from you. Nigerians need you again, not to lead them. I think never again for that. This is because they have realized that only the devil can call to the devil.

Literally put, Yoruba say you only send the son of fire to it. It is time for you to come out from behind the scene and give hands either to Daniel or those in the opposition, bent to remove the rug from under his feet. You will need to deal with some pedestrian writers either on the nigeriaworld web pages or in Daniel’s established newspaper who see no evil as long as they get contracts from him.  Some who know nothing about Ogun have been sleep writing about people dabbling into Ogun affairs. These are mumbo-jumbo fellows who care no hoot as long as they get the crumbs from the masters’ table. These  “FFO”  (for food only) writers and overnight journalists have busy scavenging crumbs from around the country, from Kwara to Ogun, and from Lagos to Abuja. FFOs will refuse to admit evil when glaring, will clamor for quiet when their food benefactors are under fire. There is definitely nothing to learn from these people except to instruct them as the great Awo did in the past. Better modify or face perdition! Please get these people in line by your fiat.

Sir, these people trying to remove Daniel are said to be enjoying your support because the boy has grown wings and aspires to become a leader over you. Even though neither you or him could force yourself over the Yoruba people, but Ogun beckons on you to help unravel the truth about the true leadership color of Gbenga Daniel. This could help you recover some of your lost respect, at least in the State.

You must be ready for real battle because even though Daniel has some self inflicted ‘Abacha like’ problems (see pointblanknews.com of 7/9/08), he knows how to use public money to fight. It is not going to be easy because you do not like to spend personal money for any cause, unlike the indisputable winner of June 12, 1993 election who was severely vilified by you in life and death. You need to be careful because your more calculating soldier brother from Minna may be on the ground to deploy arsenals to defend Daniel. Also remember that you have made so many fiendish people all over the Southwest, and nine out of ten may not believe you have any good fight remaining in you. In fact, be careful not to sleep with your two eyes closed.

Sir, you need to either help to expose the fake leadership, if any in Daniel or restore him fully if he deserves to be left alone to retire in 2011 to enjoy his loot.

Ogun State and its hardworking people deserve all the peace they could get but the war between Daniel and the Assemblymen may bring “chaus” ( I mean chaos) and krisis ( I mean crises) but with you there as a master or an elder in handling these, people need not worry any more. Thank you for allowing me to bother you with this piece when you are supposed to be reading for your next exam at School or enjoying your retirement. May God reward you as you have done for Nigeria.

It’s your compatriot,

John Ayodele
bishopbode@hotmail.com