I feel very sad, when politicians expose themselves just because of disagreement on their party’s formula for sharing positions. My attention was drawn to Senator Dino Melaye, The Chairman, Senate Adhoc Committee on Media and Publicity, an APC human right campaigner and anti-corruption crusader who prides himself as a politician with zero tolerance to corruption. I became interested when sen. Dino Melaye told the whole wide world that he has never executed any government contract. I told myself, the only way to get answers to unasked questions is to observe (siddon look), by so doing, the answers to unasked questions will manifest.
The drama started when Sen. Melaye accused one of APC party leaders, former governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting and instigating a probe against his election as Kogi West senatorial candidate.Likely, the legal battle may turn out to be an exercise in futility. Then, the media attack begins, I laughed when I saw the headline as captioned by SAHARA REPORTERS, sen. Dino Meleye renovates a posh $6.5 million mansion in Abuja. The online newspaper did justice to that report, as they also mention the street number and showed the house pictures for doubters to verify for themselves. That tells me, the rogue politicians in Nigeria know themselves and are ready to pull the roof down if anyone dares them. According to governor Adams Oshiomhole,one minister cornered $6 billion under GEJ administration, Senators of federal republic of Nigeria, everyone earns in excess of N200million per annum in a country where the minimum wage is N216 thousand per annum.Why has the change we voted for refused to correct these abnormally? The changer refused to be changed.
I now understand why PMB has not declared his asset publicly,the argument that he declared it privately to CCB and the law forbidding the code of conduct bureau to make it public doesn’t hold water because his predecessor also did same, the media gave him permanent titles like: clueless, incompetent and corrupt president. When the former president says, ‘I don’t give a damn about declaring my asset publicly”.The media latched onto it and demonized the former president, then, hardly will you read any news publication without seing,’’I don’t give a damn featuring on it” It became a selling point for most media houses in Nigeria. Ladies and gentlemen, tell me what has changed today. The question in the lips of many Nigerians, is there any law in Nigeria banning public office holders from declaring their assets and liabilities publicly? Is it true that the changers can’t cope with the change?
Many Nigerians are victims of intellectual dishonesty and professional obfuscators at large. The intelligentsia community in any culture has always been the engine room driving social change.There seems to be a disconnect in that regard,everyone for himself and God for us all,as we have seen in the national assembly leadership crises.It was not about national interest but party’s interest overriding national interest.
I will neither clap for governor El Rufai for nominating commissioner’s and reducing his salary by 50% nor thank Mr. president and his vice for reducing their basic salaries, because it doesn’t make sense, They should have gone ahead to reveal their allowances and other entitlements hidden from the protruding eye of the public, that’s the best way to do it.
It was a clear case of paying lip-service, manipulating the public mood just to score cheap political points.Personally, i like APC as a party, because of their resilience in the fight to occupy the centre of attraction, beyond their struggle, the changers have refused to be changed. They have resorted to deceptions and manipulations in other to reverse the change we voted for.
With APC at the centre now, there are so many inconsistencies now that the change is affecting them. We expect that the change affect the corridors of power too. Please tell governor,El Rufai that it is more honorable to declare his asset publicly than to sue the media house that helped him to do so. It is ridiculous, if the allegation is true that a sitting governor has N90 billion stashed in banks and 40 houses scattered in Abuja and Kaduna. I will not reserve my comments because governor El Rufai has not come out clean rather he resorted to intimidation and show of shame. If the governor is not playing to the gallery he would have done the needful but he decided to choose the tortuous route. This same governor was seen running from pillars to posts, Chattam house to Washington DC, from been the minister of FCT to Kaduna government house, preaching the same sermon; I am better than thou, in what way and manner? I learnt he also bought the vice president lodge when he was the FCT minister. Now tell me, is El Rufai better than the NNPC he accused of defrauding Nigerians, is it too much for everyone to submit to best practices and rule of law? No wonder ,Sam Omatseye cautioned that scrapping NNPC to create another NNPC does not solve any problem in Nigeria.
Majority of corrupt politicians are APC members. Nigerians know them and their antecedents. While PDP steal our resources in a broad day light, their counterpart, APC steal in the dark and pay the “pen-pushers” to cover their tracks. It is right to say that they control the media houses to large extent.
No responsible person sees his people misery as an opportunity to ride to power. It is on record that APC is the only political party that used Boko Haram insurgency for campaigns and subsequently rode to power. There is no hiding place for the devil, with all the window dressing, media sympathy that APC enjoys today.Now we know,Boko Haram insurgency is not about PDP or APC not doing the right thing but required a concerted effort of every Nigerians,from the east to the west to north and south to make progress.If only PMB will extend hand of fellowship to all and sundry ,but it is very unfortunate,when the foundation is faulty,what will the righteous do.Even the Bible and the Koran says that a house built on faulty foundation or divided among itself cannot stand. Our editors worship the politicians. And the politicians do everything in their power to keep them around. It is symbiotic relationship-‘you shop, I shop and Nigerians no go vex’.It doesn’t change the fact that it takes over a million lies to cover just one lie. Propaganda has a limit.
I wish PMB and APC folks will disappoint me and other critics too. I want all Nigerians to join in this campaign, it is not over until it is over.PMB must make $1 equal to N1, pay N5, 000 to 20 million poor Nigerians, create 20,000 jobs in 36 states every year. Two months has passed and still counting-nothing has happened.Boko Haram is still having a field day in the North east. The government led by PMB is yet to articulate the dynamics of waging war against the insurgents.Prof.Tam David West had written dozens of books on why pms (premium motor spirit) should sell for N40 per litre during Good luck Ebere Jonathan administration.The baton has changed hands, mission accomplished,but Nigerians still buy fuel at N120 per litre till today and nobody gives hue and cry. The changer must change now.
Nigerians don’t want saints to be appointed as ministers of the federal republic of Nigeria because there are no saints in Nigeria. Therefore, President Mohammad Buhari should follow best practices and rule of law. This is important, because every zone in Nigeria has capable, qualified and competent individuals to occupy any position in Nigeria.
Only the truth will set President Mohammad Buhari free, it is impossible to serve APC leaders and Nigerian masses altogether. Where there is conflicting interest, let best practice prevail. PMB may not know it, these people want him to fail so that they will come on board come 2019.May the lord grant our president the wisdom to think outside the box.
Nonso Nwando
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nwandoi@yahoo.com