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Dr. Kabiru Mato, PhD: ‘Understanding the Jos Intifadah’ and My Right of Reply.

March 27, 2009

 

Unfortunately it is easier for a Camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for Nigerian newspapers to publish a right of reply not least when it is not pro their newspaper or their columnist. Yet they will publish rubbish and un-ethical articles by their columnist. The Leadership newspaper and the Media Trust newspapers are guilty of the above charge.

When supposed intellectuals debased themselves and condescend to tribal and religious bigots and champions then the society in which they live is in serious danger of self destruction and probably there is slim hope if there is any for such a society. History has a record of countries like that, Somalia, Sudan and Yugoslavia of old. Some people may think it can never happen here, but it has started in the Niger-Delta region already. A second uprising like that in the Niger-Delta might not be controlled by the ‘Federal Might’.

Probably it is a mistaken identity but I stand to be corrected, because whenever I visit Nigeria I usually see one Dr Kabiru Mato on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) who supposedly is a Lecturer at the University of Abuja whose views is sought on national and international issues still supposedly as an Intellectual.

While I would want to know if the Uni-Abuja Lecturer is the same person as the columnist who writes for Leadership newspaper on Sunday. My simple reason for wanting to know is the fact that the columnist has a PhD attached to his name. We are aware of the fact that most Nigerians crave to have titles attached to their names or even before it. Example, Dr Mato PhD, or Chief Ogbulafor, JP, or Chief (General) Shagaya, PhD.

As is always with everything Nigerian, some say the acronym PhD after some people’s name stands for ‘pull him down’, while others say it stands for Doctor of Philosophy which cerebral academicians acquire via hard work and objectivity. In the case of the ‘columnist’ Mato PhD the columnist of the Leadership newspaper I have not been able to figure out to which class he really belongs. Before now I have always contemplated until I read his column titled� ‘Understanding The Jos Intifadah’ Sunday Leadership 15 March 2009, which removed all the shades of doubt I had about the fact that the PhD after his name stands for ‘pull him down’!

The simple logic I am applying to that is that no Academician worth his certificate will write that thrash even if he acquired his certificate from Toronto or Saint Lucia. ‘My apology to Salisu Buhari’.

But for the fact that Mr Yar’adua is a Muslim Hausa like the street urchins that have pelted him two times with bottles and stones near the Jos Central Mosque, I tell you they would have been in jail by now. Mr Mato PhD let me bring it nearer to home here in the UK for you to understand better. About two weeks ago, a young lady who was protesting the economic recession here in the UK threw some yoghurt which she added colour green to disguise at the Trade Minister, hardly did she leave the scene of the incident then the Metropolitan police pounced on her and arrested her immediately and charged her to court for assault and battery with dangerous weapon. She only threw the yoghurt at the Secretary of Trade Mr Mendelssohn, not even the container. Furthermore Mr Mendelssohn said she was right to express herself and that the Police should not arrest her! Of course the law must take its course and prima facie the young lady was arrested and charged to court.

Quiet alright it made news headlines and front pages in all the British newspapers the next day, but they all condemned her for her barbaric behavior. That is civility by professional newspapers and columnists.

That Mr Mato PhD can actually write in his column justifying the pelting with stones and bottles of Mr Yar’adua by miscreants in Jos is most unfortunate.

If the report I read in the papers is true, then that was not simple pelting with stones but a form of war. Even the Leadership newspaper and Daily Trust reported that the spare reserve Jeep car of the President was smashed in the attack and as well as the vehicles in which Vincent Ogbulafor, Solomon Lar and one of the Commissioners of the Plateau state government were damaged. It was yet reported that some policemen were seriously injured by the stone throwing miscreants.

Dokta Mato, PhD, if Samaila Mohammed the number one adversary of Plateau state and the sponsor of the Jos area boys can actually condemn it and call for them to be brought to justice then I am at a lost why you are justifying it.

First and foremost if you are worth the title attached to your name PhD and it does not mean ‘Pull him down’, your first reaction is to condemn all forms of violence even if it is directed at your enemy what more of the President of Nigeria though he was imposed on Nigerians by his estranged godfather OBJ.

In view of your crude and barbaric behavior, you have tarnished the good name of leadership newspaper and in order not to chase us away the numerous readers of this educative and entertaining paper, I hereby advise them to withdraw you from writing columns for them for the good of their paper.

If you are suppose to be that lecturer in the University of Abuja which I so much doubt then I advise the University Registrar to as a matter of urgent academic importance to liaise with the academic board to set up a committee to authenticate and verify your certificates especially your Doctorate degree if you have one. By the way ‘Dr’ Mato, if Intellectuals like you who are suppose to be policy formulators to sharp the society can encourage and condone wayward behavior as was displayed by the street urchins ‘almajiris’ in Jos who are young youth who are suppose to be the leaders of tomorrow, can you honestly say there is future for our country Nigeria? For the purpose of the next statement, I am assuming you are the Lecturer at the University of Abuja. What then are you teaching your students as prospective leaders of Nigeria? Can you Mr Mato honestly say you will not carry this emotional sentiment you displaced in your article the ‘Jos Intifadah’ into the lecture hall and exams as the case may be? My heart goes to your students who are not Hausa/Fulani Muslims especially if they are from Plateau state.

I leave the rest in the court of the public domain and the authorities of the University of Abuja if you are supposedly that lecturer in that University.

Ndiameeh Babrik

[email protected]


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