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Kano: Of Criticism and Condemnation

November 8, 2008
Criticism is an act of evaluating and analyzing issues that are of utmost importance to the progress and development of the society. The evaluator or analyzer of the issue is often referred to as a critic. A critic therefore must have an ideological basis through which issues are deeply digested with a view to proffer a way forward for the society to achieve the desired objective. A critic must look at the prone and coins of the issue at stake towards arriving at a reasonable conclusion devoid of greed, sentiment, bias, avarice and vendetta. The critic must be in position to be logical in his argument. He should be seen to be deeply concerned with his line of thought. Issue like Shekarau's status cars to the traditional rulers and legislators is a case study for any concerned critic to evaluate and analyse in a convincing and responsible manner. The car issue should present the critic's opinion and provide evidence to support it. There is always the need to be rational and open minded. The aim is to prove that one's opinion is superior in spite of the apparent merits of the opposing viewing points. Readers must be respected and in no circumstance should we show hostility towards those who oppose us. Above all, we must try to be respectful and open-minded and apparently eager to disclose the truth rather than to release venom, emotions or launch attack just because one has vocabulary of insults. A critic must look at his opponent's definition, wording, and analysis, the use of evidence, reasoning and appeal to emotion. The question critic should ask himself include: Was the subject matter well analysed? Were the main ideas clearly organized in support of a definite theme? Were supporting material interesting and factual? Were all assertions logically supported? Unfortunately, some of our today critics do not seem to have time in arranging their thoughts in line with the above stipulated manner. The kinds of critics we have today are critics whose aim is to destroy and condemn those who do not necessarily share their views and aspirations. Hunger, jealousy, bitterness and high level of corruption in the country have given rise to lopsided critics who do not care to respect their readers' psyche. Since May 29, 2007 when Malam Ibrahim Shekarau was sworn in as the second term elected Governor of the most populous state of Kano, some pockets of self styled critics have taken it upon themselves to look at Shekarau's administration in a lopsided manner without taking into cognizance what makes a critic worth his onion. In many cases than one, the critics of Shekarau do not keep the topic of issues relevant to the subject of the opinion so expressed. Perhaps, because of the hatred, malice, personal greed or desperate attempt to malign the governor for no just cause other than either not favouring the critics or giving out 'enough' adverts to their agents, the critics abandon noble ideal of criticism and take to outright condemnation and personal verbal attack to score cheap goals. This is due to the fact that the so called critics are usually ill-equipped with the mechanics of criticism and therefore, take to manipulation of facts, lying and indulging in fabrication in order to dent the image of their assumed foes. Taking into consideration that no man but God is infallible, it is morally pertinent for any responsible critic to endeavour, no matter how constraint, to highlight both the good and bad aspects of their perceived enemies with the aim to offer alternative suggestions for any cause of action. From July 2008 to date, almost all those who chose to criticize the indefatigable Governor Shekarau and his administration did so out of malice, hatred and jealousy. None of them allowed issues and common sense to prevail. For genuine and fair criticism to be seen, one expects the critics to have equally highlighted, at least, some little aspects of the governor's good deeds, juxtaposing them with the so called bad ones and providing suggestions to serve as guides to the governor for improvement. This is what is often termed as constructive criticism. But this form of criticism has since been relegated to the background and thrown to the dogs in our contemporary society where negativity and total condemnation has become the practice. The most worrisome part of this uncharitable phenomenon is the presentation of half truth and blatant lies by the desperate critics to undermine their subject. It is this art of telling lies against the impeccable hard working governor Shekarau of Kano State and by extension his entire administration that prompted yours sincerely into making rejoinders against those one sided critics that take pride in perfecting crooked stories against the administration that has done so well for his people, simply because of personal interests and greed. Instances of this half baked truth dished out to the people by those who ought to be relied upon abound for recap. How can a writer state that there isn't any single road rehabilitated in the Kano metropolis where as the writer knows there are? How can a reporter worth his sort rush to the press with fictitious stories against people's leader and some one would expect others who know the truth to shut up for fear of being tagged "sycophant" knowing full well that the bad thrives in a society where the good refuses to act? It is very hard to see some critics in Nigeria actually criticizing. They some time indulge in the art of condemnation because they lack the rudiment of criticism particularly when the so called critic also lacks the basic foundation upon which principle is supposed to be built and reflected. It is just last week I read an article posted on gamji website by one fictitious Ado Bello under the caption" Malam Ibrahim Shekarau A Good, Honest and Visionary Leader Without Good Marketers." The good marketers the fake Bello was talking about is the fact that the man who is now masking as Ado Bello had requested from the governor's aid to allow him write a favourable piece at the cost of a whooping sum of three hundred and fifty thousand naira per piece. This dubious offer was naturally and out rightly turned down because it is not in the character of the government to indulge in such frivolous and immoral demand as a sharia'h compliant government. The chop-chop writer was so embittered about this good decision. As usual, he had no alternative but to use pseudo name (Ado Bello) to write and condemn the governor's Director of Press and publicity as 'incompetent' to market his boss on ground of dishonouring his obnoxious and corrupt request, which he recently posted on gamji website. Since the writer was denied access to the dubious fund, he has the pen, as usual, to fabricate lies, expecting the worst to happen. This is the kind of bad journalism that some of our so called journalists and critics have been trying fruitlessly to subject the government of Shekarau into ridicule. The gullible readers of that piece of Ado Bello might think that they have read the true picture of issue not knowing that it was a revengeful mission accomplished. Indeed, the fake Ado Bello is not alone in the art of criticizing Shekarau administration for personal greed and animosity. I was also reading a piece recently posted in gamji website by one Naseer Kura under the title "the Award Gambit and Governance in Kano." The central theme of the piece tends to underrate series of awards given to the Kano State Governor in recognition of his good governance in pioneering the affairs of Kano State. In Kura's opinion, Shekarau does not seem to 'deserve any award' because in the writer's isolated view, the governor's achievements are 'not strong enough' to merit awards. Perhaps, for Shekarau to qualify for any award, he must build castles in the air and create 'fomfu fura' leading to every home. Like an arm-chair critics, Kura went ahead to assert some incredible points that sound as a carry over of personal injury and therefore unnecessary vengeance must be carried out by hook or crook. However, Kura in another breath admits that "the administration of Shekarau must be credited for the wisdom applied to construct Tamburawa Water plant and the new ultra modern market", believing that "when completed, these two projects will go a long way to ameliorate the perennial water shortage bedeviling Kano and the chaotic nature of commerce in the centre of commerce respectively." Still, he was pessimistic that these projects would not be completed. It is agreed that some of Shekarau's projects are gigantic ones that one may rightly or wrongly think that they would be abandoned. I think there is no need of Kura being pessimistic in a work that has already started. This is simply because one cannot be hopeful and at the same time pessimistic. This cannot go with development as a matter of fact. Tamburawa Water plant is a World Bank Project that Shekarau has contributed so much before the project reaches its present stage. This alone is enough to say well-done to a man that has dared where others have come to chop and go noting that behind every glory; there was a story. This is meant to encourage good governance so that he can still do more. Therefore, I should think that Kura's comment on Shekarau's award was simply passed in anger for reason best known to him. I do not know and I stand to be corrected if Kura has no axe to grind in the issue of rule of law, which he made reference to in his piece. I am saying this because one understands that Governor Shekarau had once acted as Chairman of the committee that looked into a theft case in which the guilty was rightly dismissed from work. Perhaps, the rule of law Kura so much preached might be a carry over of anger in the justice meted out for the guilty person under the able chairmanship of Malam Shekarau before he became the governor of the state.We should always try to believe in every honest effort of the governor, which must be supported for progress. There are projects that require systematic planning, execution and completion. If for instance and for whatever reason, the government of Shekarau is not able to complete the projects before the end of his second term, his party could still win to continue and complete the projects for the people of the state. There is no hurry in life and in any case, it is not always that one lives to enjoy the fruit of one’s labour. It is better late than late. If Shekarau is fair enough to continue and complete uncompleted projects of his predecessor, his successor should also be able to continue with whatever projects initiated that could not also be completed. The interest of Kano should take precedence over and above every other parochial interest. So, there is no need for Kura to be pessimistic or sad about whatever good effort Shekarau has made for the good people of Kano State. Lest one is misconstrued, it should be clear here that no body is saying that governor Shekarau is perfect and therefore should not be talked about, again, knowing full well that he is a human being. What we are saying is that we must not necessarily lie against him because our selfish demands are not granted. This is the main reason while some of us write to counter such wrongful persecution of a man that we vote for and believe in his capability. So, these writers and reporters who deliberately criticize Shekarau are not doing so for a just cause but sadists that believe only in condemnation and dark side of life. The aftermath of such negativity is not usually palatable. It normally ends one in frustrations. The ongoing travails of the ex-chairman of the Economic/Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu is a classical case for any one to reminiscence about. During the heydays of the former President Obasanjo, the popular Nuhu Ribadu was used as EFCC boss to wrongly or rightly bring down some selected prominent politicians in his crusade against financial crimes. Perhaps, Ribadu was doing well in his financial crime war until the man that hired him decided to also make use of him for some dirty assignments. About two months to governorship election in 2007, Ribadu was grossly influenced to compile some names of both the guilty and the innocent as corrupt persons that should not stand for election. Among the list, the name that certainly and mostly intrigued every sincere onlooker was that of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. It beats people's imaginations how a man adjudged innocent in 2003 could be guilty of the same issue in 2007. For avoidance of hindsight, Shekarau government had reported a case of fraud perpetuated in 2003 to EFCC for investigation. On 4th October 2004, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) exonerated the Kano State Government of any under-the- table deal in the fertilizer contract. A BBC programme monitored in Kano, quoted the then EFCC Chairman Ribadu as saying that neither Governor Ibrahim Shekarau nor any member/official of his government was involved in any shady deal in the fertilizer scandal. Ribadu said that investigations conducted by his commission showed that the government was innocent of any blame in the contract. The EFCC Chairman then commended the Kano state Governor for his transparent and honesty in the running of Kano government. At the heat of the matter in 2007, Ribadu re-emphasized the innocence of Shekarau on 27th February 2007 via the interview he granted to media Trust, publishers of the Daily Trust. In the said interview, Ribadu bared his mind on his so called indicted politicians. According to Ribadu, “all allegations against Governor Ibrahim Shekarau could not be proven.” He said the EFCC investigated Shekarau based on the several petitions received including maintaining a foreign account but they could not be established. The big question Ribadu's conscience cannot allowed him to answer is, who smuggled an innocent name into a fraudulent list and why? Perhaps, there might be one or two others of Shekarau's type, one cannot tell. In spite of all the abracadabra and political intrigues orchestrated by some few disgruntled elements against Shekarau, the man was able to triumph over and above his detractors. This is principally because falsehood and lie no matter how cleverly packaged cannot stand the test of time. Naturally, Ribadu is currently undergoing trials and tribulations. The law of retribution is fast catching up with him for conniving with "the people of the book" to upgrade falsehood against the innocent. The same instrument that catapulted Nuhu Ribadu and made him 'holier than thou' is equally hunting him and will sooner or later bring him down as a 'sinner.' Presently, EFCC is searching for him to answer his shady handover note. His boss, the Inspector General of Police, has summoned him for being recalcitrant. The media that made him a hero, in spite of his selective justice as the then EFCC boss, is now heralding him as a villain. Ribadu is descending down through the same way he ascended to the top. Ribadu's conscience is hunting him seriously. This reminds me of what our Principal, B.A. Ibrahim once told us on the eve of our graduation at the Muslim College in 1984. He counseled us to respect the people we meet on our way up because on our way down, we may meet them in different condition. Admittedly, the importance of waging war against corruption cannot be disputed. But using corruption to fight corruption must not be tolerated. Nigerians should therefore learn from the ongoing Ribadu's saga. Truth mixed with falsehood cannot take any body any where. If Ribadu had known, he would have taken a bow and called it a beautiful day like the calibers of Okonju-wellas. Unfortunately, he didn't because perhaps, he was happy doing the Obasanjo's bidding and acting his scripts. This is the aftermath of it and no body should convince me that all what Ribadu did is for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. What else can I say but to end this piece with the belief that nothing good is easy to come by and like a good journalist, one should be able to portray the true situation of things at all times. I also believe that where a leader is wrong, I should be bold enough to say the leader is wrong, and where a leader has done something worth commending, I should not shy away from applauding as loudly and clearly as I could, not minding whose ox is gored. Saka Raji Audu writes from Kano and can be reached on his email: HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]" [email protected]

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