Once upon a time, there lived a rich and influential man with his wife and a daughter. In the course of time, a quarrel broke out between him and his wife. It got so bad that the man was no longer welcome to have his sexual yearnings satisfied by his wife. Over time, the man out of frustration or anger or to threaten and coerce the wife into submission said; "if you continue this way, denying me of my sexual satiety, I will not pay the house rent due in three months; I will leave you out in the streets homeless." Then he added; "in case you think I'll be out in the streets with you, I wouldn't because I have another wife, a lawyer with two kids, a boy and a girl." The woman, an uneducated full time house wife caved in.
Once upon a time, there lived a rich and influential man with his wife and a daughter. In the course of time, a quarrel broke out between him and his wife. It got so bad that the man was no longer welcome to have his sexual yearnings satisfied by his wife. Over time, the man out of frustration or anger or to threaten and coerce the wife into submission said; "if you continue this way, denying me of my sexual satiety, I will not pay the house rent due in three months; I will leave you out in the streets homeless." Then he added; "in case you think I'll be out in the streets with you, I wouldn't because I have another wife, a lawyer with two kids, a boy and a girl." The woman, an uneducated full time house wife caved in.
For those who have been following events and proceedings at the national conference in Abuja - Nigeria, it wouldn't be that difficult to link this story to the outburst or threat of a man described by many as soft spoken; he is a respected traditional ruler, the 12th Lamido of Adamawa Emirate and the Chairman, Adamawa State Council of Chiefs and Emirs, His Royal Highness Dr Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa.
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The Lamido, it was reported on AIT and by several print and online media as shocking other delegates with his comments during plenary on whether a 3/4 (75%) be adopted as the minimum standard to resolve an issue in absence of a consensus decision, or to adopt the new 2/3 (approx 66%) position been canvassed for at the ongoing National (Delegates) Conference in Abuja. The respected traditional ruler, it was shown, took a long detour to warn those he called "jingoist" and in the process said what was completely alien to the subject matter upon which the discussion hinged, and which according to the president is a NO GO AREA for the conference. He is reported to have said that his kingdom extends to Cameroon with a state in the country even named Adamawa (same as the state housing his kingdom in Nigeria), and in the event Nigeria breaks up, he will be welcomed to join the part of his kingdom in Cameroon.
It is difficult for me to understand the kind of provocation that will push an elder so far as to speak like a kid out to cause a fight. Elders are known to have strong self control, they are people who will not turn around to bite like goats when pushed to the wall. The Lamido is a respected man, and that is why it beats my imagination that he would speak like some of our elders who have thrown dignity to the dogs and have chosen to chant war songs at every available opportunity, more like naughty bullies out to provoke others to a fight and not like elders who would be called upon to settle quarrels should there be one. He must have been badly provoked; I guess he had it to his neck and couldn't take it anymore.
In as much as I do not and may never be able to know and understand any of his thoughts when he made that statement, it suffices to say that his outburst or more correctly threat could mean several things, prominent of which is this:
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1. Let it be known to you in case you do not know yet, I have a second home so if you do not give me what I want, or do not do things as I want, I will make sure you do not get what you want; when you have lost it all, I will pack my bags and people and move to my second home.
Besides the meaning and implication of what the respected Lamido said, I think much more important is the fact that by this singular statement, no matter who and how much he was provoked, he has disqualified himself from continuing as a delegate for the Conference (already viewed by many as being done with an ulterior motive). HRH Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa should not be allowed to continue as a delegate because a man who has nothing to lose when things don't work wouldn't be motivated to do all in his power to make sure things work (if you doubt me ask some civil servants). As it is now, the Lamido has shown he is not about to lose anything if this Conference fails to thrive by making meaningful inputs that would pull Nigeria out of this sorry state of existence, even if that failure results in the ugly, devastating consequence of a break up; he has a second home to move to, larger than where he currently resides.
It is my strong belief that for the Nigerian citizen to continue to have the little faith s/he has in this National Conference, people like HRH Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa who can switch nationality at will should anything happen to Nigeria be excused from the National Conference. In addition they should be placed very high on Nigeria's top priority security watch list.
I have no other nation to run to should anything happen to Nigeria, I will therefore be forever suspicious and critical of any group that houses a man (or men) that will quickly run and join another thriving nation (when trouble comes) while I suffer to rebuild the ruins and from them a new nation. Such a person, persons or group of persons cannot effectively discuss, plan for and negotiate my future.
Amene Ter'Hemen
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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