An October to be remembered for revealing a colossal loss of intellectualism among key public commentators for their sardonic expression on irrelevant issues taken as emotional baggage aimed at creating further confusion in the polity of our Country at the expense of burning national issues. One need not to bother, whether we elected misfits to the corridors of power or not, but for their failure to chart an all-inclusive programmes towards the viability of our Economy and sustainable efforts towards abating corruption the judgment has delivered itself.
The value of Naira at exchange rate level has gone worse, worsened for the fact that, when product and services increase in price in Nigeria, rarely do we achieve a downward review, even when factors that necessitated the increase at the first instance has vanished into the thin air. Once again, the vibes for advanced local economy to cushion the effects of our total dependence on importation has been lost again, rather harnessing our potentials as victims of poor leadership and concentrate on strategies to ensure credible election for emergence of ideological grounded cadres with capacity to inject ideas and policies to favour the downtrodden, exchange of banters and mockery has become the front burners.
Within days in October 2016 alone, INEC was alleged of conspiracy with APC in Edo State on the outcome of Gubernatorial Election where protest by the opposition is gathering unexpected momentum. The abducted Chibok Girls resurfaced with battered faces laced with depression and trauma. The trial of the leadership of National Assembly took another dramatic turn with claims and counter claims over Federal Government’s withdrawal of the alleged forgery case.
High profile Judges were arrested by Directorate of State Security Service and the Wife of the President offered an appraisal of the present administration reeling out shocking revelations on appointees regarded as confidants of Mr President, while her opinions and standpoints were declared by Mr President as a statement from someone whose opinions would be most needed by him domestically at the home front in the family house kitchen.
In simple summary of October events, when a dog eats a dog, what’s the concern of a chick, would she have preferred other than to allow dogs to eat themselves. Nigeria Prisons are overfilled for only a reason, the populations of suspects awaiting trials undergoing remand are too numerous to analyse, but commoners don’t really matter to the people at the corridors of power while commoners themselves prefer the roles of cannon folders.
Any Country that ignores imparting meaningful orientations to the citizens and creates loopholes for a section of the society to dupe the populace writes an open invitation to troubles and generational worries. Noting applause of notable Nigerians especially NANS on the pronouncement of National Assembly to extend validity of JAMB result to three years is a confirmation of intellectual deformity among policy makers and beneficiaries alike. For the avoidance of doubt, population of admission seekers greatly surpasses the facilities available in our tertiary institutions which out rightly deny several admission seekers opportunities to be admitted not to talk of admission ratio, class strength and diverse peculiarities from institution to institution.
A thorough check on the Nigeria Constitution made no mention of the Wife of Mr President not to mention her roles in running of the affairs of the Country and instead of respecting the humorous response of President Buhari to a reporter that requested his response on statement credited to his wife, people suddenly became sarcastic in the process. Does Aisha Buhari belong to the kitchen, room and personal life of Muhamadu Buhari would have been more appropriate than asking if Aisha Buhari the wife of the President of Nigeria belong to Presidential Villa Kitchen , President’s Room or otherwise as dictated by our Constitution.
President Muhamadu Buhari should learn a lesson from warped sense of humour of most Nigerians throwing banters at him over his comment on his wife, Nigerians are used to abuse of office and his decision to abolish the Office of First Lady didn’t really augur well to the beneficiaries of the wrong dealings through that platform in the past. A wife of an elected officer has her liberty, rights and freedoms as a Nigerian and belonging to the private life of an elected or appointed public officer does not change her status and the way and manner we bundle responsibilities not offered to them by our Constitutions clearly explain reasons for our horrible fates in Nigeria.
Aisha Buhari has a right as a Citizen of Nigeria has a right to freedom of speech and so long she has no constitutional responsibilities in the government doesn’t make her opinion superior to any other Nigerian, then what’s the fuss about the President humour. The way and manner we plays our politics wrongly in Nigeria is the same way and manner we run government wrongly and the vicious circle continue.
Our ultimate concern should be strict compliance with the letters and spirit of Nigeria Constitution, out of hypocrisy, people now use terms like my wife belong to me as if their wives don’t have domestic responsibilities combined with their professions if they have any. Often times, professionals obtained leave of absence or resigns from gainful employment moments their husbands are elected into public offices, even Justice Binta Murtala Nyako had to excuse herself from duty to give emotional support to the then embattled Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa during his trying period.
I begin to wonder if our elected officers really have wives whose professions are more important than the new lease of lives offered to them by the new roles of their husbands as public officers. Must a wife resign her appointment where she works just because her husband is elected for a four year tenure office or she has no rights to her previous means of livelihoods since her husband is now in charge of public funds, this is exactly where our problems starts and end in Nigeria, our sense of reasoning and action on governance and duties of the first family of an elected officer needs a repair.
Comrade AbdulRahman Agboola
National Coordinator,
Mass Action for Good Governance and Grassroots Development in Nigeria
[email protected] 08029809000
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