By Edwin E. Uhara<\/p>\n
Just like vicissitude, every era and human personages is always
\npreoccupied and reckoned with one thing or the other with human actors
\nleading the stage, the famous \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsecond Red Scare\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 as popularly called
\nin the American Political history is a term which has its origins in the
\nperiod in the United States that lasted roughly from 1950 to 1956 and
\ncharacterized by heightened political repression against communists, as
\nwell as a campaign spreading fear of their influence on American
\ninstitutions and of espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to
\ncriticize the anti-communist pursuits of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of
\nWisconsin, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcMcCarthyism\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 became a movement charged with the sole
\nresponsibility of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason
\nwithout proper regard to evidence. It also means “the practice of making
\nunfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in
\norder to restrict dissent or political
\ncriticism.” “McCarthyism” soon took on a broader meaning, describing the
\nexcesses of similar efforts. The term is also now used more generally to
\ndescribe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic
\nattacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries. Here in
\nNigeria the level of political attacks by opposition to the first office
\nin our political hierarchy without recourse to decorum is worrisome.<\/p>\n
Ever since he fell out of favour with President Good luck Ebele Jonathan,
\nhe has taken to various unconventional and un-African ways of expressing
\nhis anger over the political Tsunami that befell him. The Governor of Kano
\nState, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was defeated in the 2003 Governorship
\nElection in Kano by former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, but only rode on the
\nback of President Good Luck Jonathan to power in 2011, and like the Janus
\nface, he is now attacking the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s goodwill\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 that brought him
\nback from political wilderness.
\nThe highest display of his ingratitude to ravenously biting the finger
\nthat fed him is his current outburst against President Good Luck Jonathan
\nwhen he mischievously ascribed the monumental and unprecedented cum ground
\nbreaking Transformation programmes of our amiable president to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Good
\nLuck\u00e2\u20ac. In my humble understanding which invariably reflects 90 per cent
\nof that of the discerning minds, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcGood luck\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 means a happy outcome of
\nsomething by chance or stroke of luck. If Governor Kwankwaso cannot see
\nthe modernization of our Airports and other infrastructural developments
\ninherent in Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Transformation Agenda, can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t he also appreciate
\nthe freedom he enjoys even when he is falsely and maliciously attacking
\nthe President without any \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Uniform\u00e2\u20ac or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Plain clothes\u00e2\u20ac coming
\nafter him? Was that freedom there before? Even when he scandalously
\nalleged that the Presidency was after him, did anybody come after him? Or
\nwas it \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Good Luck\u00e2\u20ac
\nwhich means a happy outcome by chance that made it possible? The freedom
\nof Information Act on which latitude he stands to rein his barrage of
\nattacks on the person and the oval office of the President without
\nretribution from any quarter; is it chance that made it happen or
\nlevel-headedness and democratic know-how by a man he has turned to his
\npunching bag?
\nWhile I cannot decipher what he meant by \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t govern Nigeria buy
\nLuck\u00e2\u20ac, I want to state categorically that Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ascendency to
\npower was never by chance. If he had not been a loyal and disciplined
\nparty man unlike Kwankwaso who is the travesty of Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s loyalty to
\nparty rules, there is no way he will be where he is today. Even Abraham
\nLincoln, former United States President who many believe rose to power as
\na result of persistence has this to say when he still a struggling man
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I will study and prepare myself and one day, when the time comes, I
\nwill be ready\u00e2\u20ac. So, when the opportunity finally came, he was elected
\nthe United States President. Hence, instead of allowing himself to be
\nconsumed by envy and jealousy occasioned by Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gradual but
\npersistence rise to power by mischievously ascribing it \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Good Luck\u00e2\u20ac,
\nhe should boldly commend the President for preparing himself ahead of time
\nfor the great task ahead,
\nbecause the operational meaning of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Good Luck\u00e2\u20ac which he failed to
\nunderstand is when preparation meets opportunity. And when Jonathan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s
\npreparation over the years finally met the needed opportunity, he did not
\nwaste time in translating it to democratic dividends for all Nigerians
\nirrespective of class, religion, political party or status. This is seen
\nin the building of modern schools for about 9.5 million Al majiris in
\nNigeria, the raising of over N80 billion to support the victims of Boko
\nHaram insurgency in the country. Apart from that, like Chief Edwin Clark
\nonce said \u00e2\u20ac\u0153President Jonathan is the most detribalized Nigerian
\nPresident in modern times.
\nTherefore, instead of allowing unprovoked attacks on Jonathan to become
\nhis pastime or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153imaginary escape\u00e2\u20ac from the difficult tasks of proving
\ndemocratic dividends to the people in the ancient city of Kano, he should
\nfairly and squarely respond to some of the questions raised by President
\nJonathan about Local Government funds in the state. While I know quite
\nfrankly that truth is bitter, but sometimes, we should overlook its
\nbitterness and ask true questions that touches the heart.
\nGovernor Kwankwaso was quote the other day as saying that, President
\nJonathan would be given the Malawi treatment in the 2015 Presidential
\nElection. Instead of alluding that to the President, he should look at the
\nmirror to see who in actual sense would be given the Malawi treatment.
\nThis is because, Governor Kwankwaso and his political party, the All
\nProgressives Congress (APC) has no structure or manpower on ground to
\nspring any surprise in 2015.
\nBesides, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s critically analyze the concept \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Malawi Treatment\u00e2\u20ac for
\nproper understanding of who is actually going to give that treatment to
\nthe other. Former Malawian President, Joyce Banda was a vice to late
\nPresident Bingu Wa Mutharika. Both of them were elected on the same
\npolitical party, but, when Wa Mutharika died, she defected to another
\nparty against the original platform that brought her to power; so after
\nher defeat in the election, the reality down on her! This is what is
\nawaiting Kwankwaso and his All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria come
\n2015. In actual sense, if there is anybody that would be given the Malawi
\nTreatment, it is the All Progressives Congress which Kwankwaso is scheming
\nto fly its flag in the next year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Presidential election.
\nHence, Governor Kwankwaso should stop belly-aching over his free-fall from
\nthe good book of the President due to his visible disrespect and barrage
\nof attacks on Jonathan which to the discerning minds is certainly an
\nexercise in futility; and of no effect on him. If I may ask, what can the
\nbite of a snake do to the back of a tortoise?
\nComrade Edwin E. Uhara is an Activist and a Public Affairs Commentator. He
\nis also a Member of PDP Project Reloaded Media Team and writes from Abuja.
\nReach him on 07065862479 or edwinuhara@rocketmail.com<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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