The Daily Trust newspaper is bitter that President Obama is visiting Ghana and has snubbed Mr Yar’adua again. Mr Yar’adua Daily Trust recalls in it editorial of Friday May 22, 2009 was humiliated in South Africa during the inauguration of Jacob Zuma as the South African president. This is in addition to the fact that Mr Yar’adua had wished to attend the G-20 summit in London which he had wished in his wildest imagination and dream he would be invited. Mr Yar’adua’s request to visit America as Nigerian President was bluntly refused.
In my article titled ‘‘President Yar’adua and his friends of Questionable characters’’, which was graciously published by the Sahara reporters.com, I did quote an age long old adage which says ‘‘show me your friends and I will tell you who you are!’’ Nigerian ‘‘leaders’’ and their cohorts it seems have forgotten that the world now is a global village. While the prophet (Nuhu Ribadu) who is rejected at home because of his anti-corruption crusade is dinning and wining with the big and the might in the US congress and in America generally, the usurper who is claiming to be the Nigerian President is begging local tribes leaders, African dictators and sundry to visit him or is begging foreign countries in the developed world for him to visit to add legitimacy to his fraudulent government.
Apart from during the Ibrahim Babangida military misrule com disaster which actually introduced and legalized bribery and corruption in Nigeria, this Yar’adua administration has elevated corruption to another level altogether with the sophistry with which state officials gang loot the national treasury and is yet protected by state apparatus of coercion. In his Guardian newspaper interview, Mr Yar’adua did confess to the fact that he has no ideas as to how to fight corruption in Nigeria! But how can he fight corruption you may ask when he actually is the promoter and supporter of corruption. State officials like Dimeji Bankole and his relations are neck deep in corruption. While Babangida’s regime introduced 419 and kickback into the Nigeria fabric, the Yar’adua administration has modernized and technologically advanced it to a state function. I mean that is why all the chief looters of their various state treasuries are falling over themselves to grab the Yar’adua girls to serve as a shield against prosecution so that they can protect their loot and ‘enjoy’ it ever after.
The other day I saw Musa, Yar’adua’s young son on the internet splashing American dollars and cladding an AK 47 rifle. That is fighting corruption the Nigerian way.
Therefore Daily Trust newspaper, Mr Obama has every right and even reasons to shone Nigeria for now. He cannot be seen to be associating with people who organize and promote corruption. He cannot be seen to associate with usurpers. He cannot be seen to associate with persons who sanctions genocide and ethnic cleansing as is being perpetrated in the Niger-Delta region now.
Barack Obama is a wise man. Mr Obama is the most powerful man on Earth now. He benefitted from a transparent election despite the fact that he is a Blackman and the blacks in America constitute just about 13% or 14% of the population.
Barack Obama benefitted from a just and egalitarian system where what you can do is the criteria for appointment into office but not your religion or tribe. He benefitted from a system where corruption in any form is viewed seriously and is punished when found guilty.
He benefitted from a system where the best is given the opportunity not minding his colour, religion or societal status. That is the society where the father was the President, George Bush snr, George Bush Jnr was the governor of Texas and Jeb Bush was the governor of Florida all at the same time that was because they were the best at that time.
Mr Obama is aware and is familiar with the adage which says ‘‘show me your friends and I will tell who you are’’. He cannot afford to dine and wine with corrupt people at this time more so that he needs a second term from the Americans who have the actual right to vote and their votes count.
While I believe Olusegun Obasanjo must be full of regrets now but he has himself to blame.
Till then the corruption circus continues until? Only God knows when.
Ndiameeh Babrik
[email protected]
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