Thursday, 17 May 2012
Congrats, President Jonathan! By Pius Adesanmi
Pius Adesanmi
Columnist:
Pius Adesanmi Dear President Jonathan:I was writing this short note to congratulate you on the significant threshold you crossed recently in the life of your presidency and in your mode of self-inscription into the memory of our nation when other good news fell into your plate today. I am thus faced with the proverbial situation of trees falling on trees. Ancestral wisdom would have me remove the topmost first by congratulating you on the good news you got today.
However, I plead to go against that rule. I want to congratulate you first on the tree that fell first and thus lies beneath the rubble.
Or should I say that I am congratulating you on the tree that you successfully fell? I am talking about Citizen Mustapha Muyeedeen Mofoluwasho Opobiyi, the young Nigerian protester you murdered recently in Ilorin.
(to the accompaniment of Sheryl Crow’s “The First Cut is the Deepest”)
That is the first body count that history records against your name sir. I am congratulating you, Mr. President, because I am a student of history. I have spent considerable time studying the psychology and the gradual transformation of historical figures who worked their way painstakingly into rubrics of identity that human memory calls despotism, totalitarianism, tyranny, or fascism. Moreover, in your own case, I am an attentive student of the insidious shifts in the nomenclature of your presidency. You started off with “a Jonathan administration”. You now effectively run “a Jonathan régime”. And something tells me that my two infant daughters may grow up to read history textbooks about “a Jonathan junta” because that is where you are headed.
Now, history tells us that such transitions are always denominated in corpses. No, make that heaps of corpses. The corpses of the innocent; of those who said “no” and were marched off to gulags, concentration camps, maximum security prisons, or mowed down in the street. And if you study the history of the men who made that fatidic transition to tyranny and mass murder, you will discover why your killing of Citizen Mustapha Opobiyi marks a significant threshold in your own transformation. You don’t even have to read textbooks to make that discovery sir.
You may pick up the phone and ask your new ilk like Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Omar al-Basir of Sudan, and Bashar al-Assad of Syria. They will all tell you that the first kill, the first murder, like the first cut, is the deepest and the most difficult. No tyrant in history, from Hitler to Stalin and Pol Pot via their numerous African incarnations, ever found the first kill easy. But they will all tell you that once you are able to steel yourself and cross that psychic point where you take the life of one innocent citizen in cold blood and in broad daylight, the rest is easy. Up until this week, you had stopped at clueless indifference or ill-timed and belated responses to the lives of your citizens lost daily to bombings, armed robbery, and general insecurity in the land. But, this week, you made your first kill, your first cut.
Congrats again, Mr. President, for successfully crossing that critical bridge in your transformation to where you obviously desire to end up in our history. Our people, our gallant people, our brave people, who are responding to the imperative of history by taking on your armoured tanks with their fist, their voice, and their determination in the merciless heat of the Nigerian street, must now understand that they are dealing with a changed man: a man who has made his first kill and will find killing innocent protesters easy going forward. But they must not allow that eerie realization to deter them from the task at hand. They must trudge on in knowledge of the fact that you have challenged history to a wrestling match and no tyrant, no murderer of the innocent protester, has ever won that match in human memory.
Where you stand, Mr President, the death of citizen Mustapha must, of necessity, pale in significance to the good news you got today that the UN and the European Union have passed a vote of confidence in you. I am persuaded that the death of a citizen is never as significant as good political news on your plate because your reaction to the Supreme Court’s reaffirmation of your electoral “victory” was swifter than your reaction to news of the lives we lost at Madalla. And you have told us time and again that you derive your sense of validation and legitimacy not from us, the Nigerian people, but from your masters who love and praise you abroad. “My people love me! They will die for me!”, Gadhaffi screamed, and you retorted: “they love me in Europe and America. I will die for them!”
One must therefore congratulate you, Mr. President, for earning the trust and confidence of your masters in the Western world. When you spent the last two years kneeling down for anointing everywhere from the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to Abuja, people mocked you. But now with their eyes they are seeing the reward of your faith for God has granted you that which you most desire: the approval of the “international community.” I am mindful that today’s good news comes on the heels of Christine Lagarde’s approval after her visit to you, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and other diligent house niggers in Abuja. With these kinds of back-patting from the people who matter in the affairs of the world, who needs the approval of the noisemakers who describe themselves as the Nigerian people?
My mind’s eye is very active, Mr. President. I can visualize the bacchanals in Aso Rock today as you celebrate this good news from the UN and the European Union, Mr. President. I can see you, surrounded by your aides, cabinet members, and other characters in the community of the béni-oui-oui who run your presidency. I can see the champagne and the vintage merlot struggling for space with bottles of Sapele water. I can hear the thunder-cracks of laughter. I can hear Labaran Maku telling you that God has recovered the UN and the European Union for you, Mr. President. And if Reuben Abati who, despite his extant degeneracy must still deal occasionally with who he used to be, has a pang of conscience amidst all that hedonism and jouissance and tries to remind you that Nigerians outside are wailing and protesting, you will tell him to go and read pages 38-39 of Segun Adeniyi’s book.
Mr. President, I am currently working on an extended critique of Mr. Adeniyi’s book because unlike those who dismissed it without reading it, I believe that it is an important book that offers us numerous unique windows into the psychology of power. Thus, you and I know what Mr. Abati will find on pages 38-39. He will find this statement by your predecessor, President Yar’Adua: “Look, Segun, let me tell you a story. Four days ago, I was sitting on this same table when CNN came with breaking news of the assassination of the prime minister of Pakistan, Mrs Benazir Bhutto.
Throughout that day, that was the only story they relayed. By the next day, they had started reporting other news, even though the Bhutto story remained the most prominent. By yesterday, the intensity of the reportage of the Bhutto affair had decreased and now if you watch the screen you will see that CNN is gradually moving on to other issues. I am sure that very soon, your friends in the media will forget about this Ribadu matter that is worrying you so much. It doesn’t bother me because I know it will soon blow over.”
And Mr. Abati will get it, laugh, and rejoin the party. He will have an epiphany. He will come to understand that this is the psychological perspective from which every generation of Nigeria’s political elite has engaged the Nigerian people: “let them make all the noise in this world. It will soon blow over”. He will come to understand that that is precisely how you see the current anti-fuel subsidy removal protests: “let us drink and be merry and watch them make all the noise in this world. Let us kill some of them occasionally to make a point. It will soon blow over and they will return to their normal lives.” He will come to understand the sang-froid with which you and your ministers party and organize your hedonistic rituals while Nigerians burn. He will shine his eyes. He will no longer be a befuddled, zombified participant in the theatre of lucre that is Aso Rock. He now knows that “it will soon blow over!”
He will come to understand, Mr. President, that the only people who don’t allow things to “blow over” once they determine that a Third World leader has outlived his usefulness are the same people who passed a vote of confidence in you and your government today. He will come to understand why those people in the corridors of power in Europe and America are more important to you than the Nigerian people.
Once again, congratulations, Mr President, for your first successful murder and for earning the confidence of your masters in Europe and America.
Sincerely,
Pius Adesanmi
Ottawa, Canada
Comments
56 comment(s)
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ignore anonymous writers
Submitted by AUDU USMAN (not verified) on January 16, 2012 - 09:37.
don't bother to read the comments of anonymous writers. they may be cowards. they may be bigots. they may have been paid to represent certain interests. hiding their identity is enough info that something about them is unwholesome.....you do not waste your time reading the rubbish of bigots, cowards, paid-commentators etc
It pains me to read such
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 8, 2012 - 17:04.
It pains me to read such crap. Good English with no sense. What do you say about scores of Igbo people massacred in the North 'by Jonathan?' What is the first kill? Absolute lack of sensitivity
It pains me to read such
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 8, 2012 - 17:00.
It pains me to read such crap. Good English with no sense. What do you say about scores of Igbo people massacred in the North 'by Jonathan?' What is the first kill? Absolute lack of sensitivity
Nigerians has said it all
Submitted by TeeJaý (not verified) on January 8, 2012 - 11:47.
GEJ should reverse d price of fuel to N65 wit immediate effect, for peace & Unity again.He has brought massive destrucTion already even worst dan d so called BOKO HARAM.pple ar dyein wit anger.GOD help NIGERIA
What about the people who died in the hands of boko boko haram?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 8, 2012 - 02:16.
Who is to take the blame, lives are lost daily, this is something we must all stand against as well as this subsidy, the future lies in our hands.
@ Charles Chima, I am not
Submitted by Pure Nigerian (not verified) on January 8, 2012 - 00:17.
@ Charles Chima, I am not sure u read well to really understand the content of the article. It is nonsensically for anyone to believe that Nigerians in diaspora do not know or have the pain of what is going on in Nigeria because they are not currently residing there (Nigeria). Some people seems to forget that yes, people who reside abroad, still have family members whom they send money to on a regular basis. It take a fool such as Charles Chima to make such an assertion. Being outside Nigeria is no yardstick to conclude one feels no pain of the going in Nigeria. Charles Chima seems to be comfortble with what is going on and in agreement with GEJ and PDP over the subsidy removal. Well it is very unfortunate. But he should know that as he is enjoying PDP windfall so many of his kits and kin are also suffering from the same windfall.
Pius and other writers whether in Nigeria or abroad are contributing in their own way toward the upliftment of Nigeria. Let's stop disparaging them.
Message to All African Leaders
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 20:18.
I have discovered that when a leader of any African Nation is praised and supported by the West. That leader should understand that he is acting against the interest of his Country.
However, if you are condemned by these Western Countries, then you know that you are acting in your country’s interest.
I have not been able to prove this statement wrong to date.
That animal, Jonathan, must be returned where he escaped from
Submitted by tundemash (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 19:52.
Great !! We are moving on. Deri and Stanley Igwe, shame on you, no amount of ethnic and religious sentiment will defeat this movement.
When the Jonathan fool was being harassed in Aso Rock 2 years ago by Turai, it was on this same SR website we all criticised the woman. Now it is Jonathan harrasing Nigerians and you expect us to keep quiet, you both must be out of your minds.
When Tunde Bakare led out his group to protest in Abuja 2years ago against the Yaradua group, no one remembered then he was a Yoruba man. How many Ijaw groups were in Abuja to support Jonathan then; they were busy licking Turai's ass ! FOOLS !!!
That animal, Jonathan, must be returned where he escaped from; zoo ! Animals can't be ruling human beings !
Re: what happened to abiola, kudirat, bola ige, giwa and kensar
Submitted by tundemash (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 18:45.
@Deri
U wanted to know what happened to abiola, kudirat, bola ige, giwa and kensarowiwa.
Apparently ogogoro is killing your memory. They were all killed by PDP (nest of killers), a party your benefactor, Ogogoro master Gridlock Jonathan belongs to. Infact Jonathan was so elated by Saro Wiwa killing, he actualy rewarded Justice Auta, the judge who convicted Saro Wiwa, with a national honour recently. If Abacha were live today, Jonathan would have made your kings reward Abacha with a chieftaincy title, the conqueror of Otuoke; Jonathan is that pathetic ! Are u really sure that guy is Ijaw ? Ethnic Bigot Edwin Clark has given up on him. CAN impostor Ayo Oritsejafor is lost for words on the oil-subsidy issue.
Anything else you want to know ?
then talk to ur presido while
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 18:06.
then talk to ur presido while u can.if ppl had accident because the roads were not fixed,then ask those in power why the roads were not fixed.
@yemi
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 18:04.
Funny ur write-up reeks of igboism (tribalism). Conclusion. u are igbo. Thats why ur write-up is one-sided.
The road to War
Submitted by Truthism (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 17:24.
Nigerian people, you are slowly driving into an accident that will engulf the whole nation. The masses that will suffer will be the innocent, the leaders will protect themselves or escape to a safe haven with the loot they have stolen. No to fuel subsidy at the moment, but people stop being led like sheep to the slaughter by both the present government and the looters of the past that are creating this chaos to protect there self richness. Mark my word, Boko Haram will strike heavily in the south in the next few days, and the Southerners will reprise, but a wave of Northern muslims will descend on the christians. Pandora's box has been opened, the vicious circle of killing has started, the thugs, agbero's, vigilantes, out of control armed police & soldiers with weapons will control the street. On a positive note, like Rwanda, Nigeria will be reborn from its ashes.
Police Did not Kill the Boy
Submitted by Aremu-Baba-Iyabo-Ale-Moji (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 16:48.
Pius I think you are missing it. Since you are not an eye witness to this event, you are not in a position to claim that the police kill the boy. I urge you to exercise caution and let police do their work.
I have make a call to Jonathan to see that the cuprits who carried out this crime did not go free. Therefore, let us all work with this administration for the benefit of Nigeria.
Greetings to all of you from Moji; she is stiil in bed.
Sincerely,
Olusegun Obasanjo
CONGRATS,PRESIDENT JONATHAN,BY PIUS ADESANMI
Submitted by JOHN PETER (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 16:20.
NOTHING COULD HAD BEEN BETTER SAID THAN "JONATHAN HAS OUTLIVED HIS USEFULNESS".THE MUSIC IS OVER AND THE CLIPPINGS HAS STOPPED.THE HAND WRITING IS CLEAR ON THE WALL.GO JONATHAN,GO !
....spot on as usual!
Submitted by Adebayo F. (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 15:55.
Egbon Pius Adesanmi,....I can't wait to read yor 'extended critique' of Segun Adeniyi's book. But unlike u sir,am not going 2 read d book itself,....saw it on a shelf in Booksellers 2day for N5k,and W.Soyinka's 'We must set out at dawn' for N4k.5 and dat got me wondering;....wetin dis yeye Segun write for dis book sef?
OTILE, I FEEL COMPELLED TO ADVISE YOU
Submitted by ibrahim saad (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 15:53.
"THOSE WHO FORGET THEIR HISTORY ARE DESTINED TO REPEAT IT."
THIS IS NOT STRICTLY TRUE, IT SHOULD HAVE READ "THOSE WHO REMEMBER THEIR HISTORY ARE DESTINED TO REPEAT IT." THE MIND WORKS NOT AS IS COMMONLY EXPECTED BECAUSE WHAT YOU WORRY ABOUT AND REMEMBER ALWAYS HAPPENS. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT AFTER SO MANY WARS FROM THE CRUSADES TO THE IRAQ WAR WE HAVE NO RESPITE? IT IS BECAUSE AFTER EACH WAR THE VICTORS WRITE BOOKS AND ERECT MONUMENTS TO KEEP THE MEMORY OF THE WAR ALIVE AND POISON THE MIND OF THE YOUNG. IF YOU WATER A TREE IT WILL GROW AND THAT IS PRECISELY WHY WE HAVE REMAINED AT WAR. HOW MANY TIMES DO NATIONS ERECT MONUMENTS OR WRITE BOOKS TO REMEMBER A TIME OF PROSPERITY AND PEACE? IF YOU KEEP THE MEMORY OF BIAFRA IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAUNT YOU. THIS IS THE PRECISE MEANING OF
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you ..."
FORGIVE & FORGET FOR YOUR SAKE OTILE. VENGENCE IS DESTRUCTIVE.
live Buhari alone
Submitted by lorenzo (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 15:46.
Leave Buhari alone
PIUS, WHAT ABOUT THE MANY IGBOS MASSACRED?
Submitted by Yemi (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 15:17.
Pius, at times I wonder if you write just for the sheer sake of writing something.And do you ever re-read your articles before sending them off for publication?They are usually long-winded & verbose with no logical process - an indication of someone with a confused thought process.Why not take a cue from your colleague Okey Ndibe?By the way, why the emphasis only on Mustapha Opobiyi's death?What about the many Ibos massacred?Do you really want people to take you seriously?This is not the time to wear an ethnic cap.Every life is precious.Learn to be a true Nigerian at least for now until the impending breakup.
bh
Submitted by ibrahim (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 14:52.
i admire the u.s. nigeria is breaking...funny they predicted it all. i cant beleive it! bombs in yola!! i wonder how they ve decided to devide it...
Love to Deri
Submitted by Okopido (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 13:10.
I love you Deri (if you are a woman) but like you (if you are a man) as I am not homosexual that Sahara reporters are championing in our society. You always speak my mind! Thank you.
WHY DONT THE PRESIDENT CALL FOR AN ENQUIRY
Submitted by osita DIOKA (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 12:37.
We have all witnessed the killing of a peaceful protester,we have also witnessed the obvious white lies of the police boss(Rigim says protester was killed by butchers),The Presidency in any honest democracy would have insisted on an investigation into that brutal killing,but as usual we have an insensitive and narrow minded Presidency hell bent on protecting the 1bn naira feeding money before the lives of citizens.
We Must Endeavor to Struggle....
Submitted by Damocles (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 12:36.
Does anyone think that the Western powers are not aware of the looting of Nigeria since 1999? Do they not know that Nigerians have been suffering or dying due to treacherous leaders? You know the answer:they DONT care as long as they are not innundated by REGUGEES. Look, the only thing i am concerned about is SEALING THE BORDERS, becuase i want a majority of these traitors & their families trapped in Nigeria, when strike.No matter what these countries say, THESE TRAITORS MUST BE BROUGHT TO BOOK. Have u noticed that what i say DOESNT CHANGE? These looters & ALL Nigerians will learn a SEMINAL lesson, when we get our HANDS on them. I suspect that some of them already know TIMES UP!
Jonanthan history will judge u...........
Submitted by AnonymousComrade (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 12:12.
well done once again pius, more ink to ur pen.
u hv spoken, as for jonathan, deri and loads of others making life difficult for niga people, thier end will be sorowful and bitter.
Jonathan should ask Obasanjo when he wanted third term, and d west asked him to let loose Charlse tailor in return for their support, but when jungle matured Obasonjo was regretably dissapointed, for jona, he will cry but will not see tears, his sleep shall be cease and all his generations will be wipe out for killing innocent soul.
my fellow nigerians, dont be despaire, God is with us jonanthan and his chariots of criminals, looters and devil can not be against us.
we shall win
Letter to the Unreading President
Submitted by Olawale (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 11:59.
Thanks Prof. There are Nigerians who went through school but because their brains were shrouded in a mist of paraga, sepe and ogogoro aka Sapele Water, they never imbibed anything taught by their teachers. That is the problem with people like Deri aka Reno Omokri among other aliases.
Deri, pls stop your infantile attempts to equate the Yorubas with the senseless people with static brains you are used to. We are dynamic and students of history. the protests are taking place against the government as much as against the so-caled fuel importers taking Nigerians for a ride and who should be cooling their heels in prisons. You cannot deny that the named fuel importers are all PDP members and benefitting the PDP as a party from the money. Your repetition is boring and making me sick. Say something different or shut down your computer, take a shot of ogogoro and go to sleep for sometime. Maybe your brain will start working again
Thank you Pius
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 11:55.
The European and American leaders know clearly well that JONATHAN is a FOOL. If EU and American leaders continue to pay welfare benefits (unemployment benefits, family allowance etc) to their citizens, how does he feel being congratulated for hiking petrol price in Nigeria by 120%? Are they not the same people who used and dumped Gadhaffi, converting his assets to theirs? Their grand plan is to escalate the crisis in Nigeria to a breaking point such that Jinathan will become the president of Niger Delta. Let's wait and see! Taewo
Pay The Minimum Wage Jonathan Or Shame On You!
Submitted by Sunday Njokede on January 7, 2012 - 11:50.
This article is top-heavy. I don’t know that the writer and author Prof. Jeffrey Sachs could be into ‘money for hand, back for ground.’ I thought Mr Sachs is civilised and comfortable enough not to crave ‘transport money’ from the likes of Jonathan. I have read books on Mr Sachs where he writes all the right things so I thought the man is socio-centric. I am highly disappointed in him that he is the same lowlife as Jonathan Goodluck. I will be a fool to buy anyone of his books in the future. Just like IBB and OBJ, there is nothing more I could learn from Sachs.
Mr Adesanmi knows President
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 11:49.
Mr Adesanmi knows President Jonathan killed the Ilorin boy, but he does not the killers of the NYSC members, the killers of countless numbers of Christians in Borno, Yobe, Kano, Plateau states over the last eight months! It's bad to be a slave to the West, it makes you powerful over only the innocent weak, but you cannot summon courage to condemn saddistic killers such as Buhari and his ilk.
Stupid Deri
Submitted by Bolanle Adeshina (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 11:26.
....and Yet the President isnt doing anything apart from talking rubbish, When OBJ's daughter was almost killed in an armed robbery attack the head of the robbery gang was arrested within days but if it had been just another citizen they wouldnt care. people are suffering, they are being murdered and the only thing the President is worried about is how to make life more difficult for the people... It will not be well with them and if you are with them may death by BH visit you and your family too.
Stupid Deri.
Submitted by Bolanle Adeshina (not verified) on January 7, 2012 - 11:25.
I find it very difficult to under you Deri, You are either dumb or just trivalising serious issues, I have read some of your comments and its very insultive to say the least. I credit Sahara Reporters for posting your comments, I am sure you are been paid to write all this nonsense. Why would anyone ask anybody else (i.e Pius) to 'talk' to Boko Haram, I hope BH bomb your family and look forward to you asking Pius to speak to them. We forget so easily mainly because we benefit from the rot. Nigerians voted for a President to defend their constitution and protect them and they get killed everyday by humanbeings ..not Ghost! ....
