I am inspired by Nehemiah’s prayer this morning to write this piece. For the benefit of those who did not know the story let me give you the hindsight. Nehemiah was in the citadel of Susa, when his brother, Hanani came from Judah with other men to tell the story about the remnant that survived the exile and also about Jerusalem. They said to Nehemiah: “ Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have seen burned with fire”
According to the story, when Nehemiah heard these things he sat down and wept. He mourned and fasted and prayed before God of heaven. Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes but the love for fatherland and burning desire for patriotism compelled him to abandon the pecks in king’s palace to return to Jerusalem to rebuild his father’s land.
Today, it is this burning desire to see Nigeria work again after 24 years of rudderless leadership that informed my decision to name those who were instrumental to this rot in the land. IBB started the mess in 1985 when he toppled the government of General Buhari, even though it was a military government. I decided to leave General Buhari out of it because of two reasons: His government was the most disciplined. He tried to change our bad habits by force. Two, since he left government in 1985, Buhari has demonstrated through actions and deeds that he has character, honour and integrity. The seizure of power in 1985 by IBB was unnecessary and uncalled for. His reasons for seizing power were personal and not progressive, it was bordered on greed and lust for power and not the desire to serve the fatherland. His eight years rule democratized corruption and corrupted our democracy. It was during his tenure that the term subversive generosity crept into our lexicon. It was during his eight years of misrule that the words ‘settlement culture’ crept into our political lexicon. IBB lied to Nigerians that he will hand over power in 1990 to civilians but failed. He lied again in 1991, 1992, and 1993 until he was disgraced out of office in 1993 without the grace to read his farewell address, after annulling a free and fair elections won by Chief Moshood Abiola. That singular incident took Nigeria back by 20 years and today 16 years after, the nation is still paying the prize of that criminal annulment.
If Chief Abiola had ruled Nigeria, perhaps Nigeria would have been different today. But IBB was not alone. The Tony Aninihs, David Marks, Olusegun Obasanjos, Ojo Maduekwes, Orji Uzo Kalus, Babagana Kinjibes, Abdulsalami Abubakars, Ebenezar Babatopes, General Abachas, Olu Onagoruwas, Arthur Nzeribes, Abimbola Davis, Jerry Okoros, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwus, Ibrahim Mantus, Nduka Obaigbanas, Justice Ikpemes, Augustus Aikhomus, Tom Ikimis, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasukis, Ooni of Ifes, Sam Mbakwes and countless number of others of this world worked in tandem with him to destroy the genuine and free and fair democratic process that would have moved Nigeria to take her prestigious seat in the comity of nations.
Today, if according to EFCC, Nigeria has been looted blind to the tune of 17 trillion Naira, it is because these men mentioned above living or dead compromised and sacrificed the future of Nigeria for a mere mess of porridge. One of them David Mark, one of the principal actors in the years of the locusts is the President of the Senate today. A man that said telephone is not for the poor could not have been rewarded with such exalted office.
Former President Obasanjo who said Chief Abiola was not the Messiah became the greatest beneficiary of the criminal annulment. If Chief Abiola had not won the election, stood his ground until he was murdered Obasanjo would not have been President. The same annulers ganged up to make Chief Obasanjo president after killing Abiola for no just cause. These are people Dr Tunji Dare described as “ A long line of Nigerian rulers from Babangida, Abdsalami Abubakar, through Ernest Shonekan and Sani Abach who suborned the institutions and instrumentalities of the state to persecute and ultimately destroy citizen Abiola, his wife Kudirat not sparing his global business empire all because he won an election”
For eight years Obasanjo was in power, he was at war with everybody. Anambra State, my own state was ruined for 8 years Obasanjo was in power. As I write this piece Chris Ubah and his brother Andy Ubah made by Obasanjo are still ravaging the State, sponsoring all kinds of atrocities to rubbish the government in power. Today you hear of kidnappings and armed robberies in Anambra State, and I say perish the thought, we have seen it before. It is all about 2010 guber elections. But the truth is that elections must be won and lost in a free and fair election. They tried to steal our mandate in 2003 and 2007 and we resisted it. In 2010, we will equally resist the predators and criminals come what may. Those who ruined our yesterday cannot be the ones to repair the damages. Those who ruined our yesterday cannot control tomorrow’s potentials. These are people who have eaten their own cake, ate the ones for their children and they are now eating their grand children own. Our country is what it is today because of what these people have made it. To them politics is not for development, it is for personal gains. The clueless gang sees themselves as the owners of Nigeria and they enjoy inflicting pains on all of us. The destroyers of our common patrimony are in government, they are in the banks, they are in oil industry, they are in the National Assembly and we know them. They are ones who refused to reform our electoral process.
We have seen what leaders do in other climes and woe betides anybody who thinks we do not know those who put us in this mess. We are living witnesses to those who rigged themselves to power after killing and maiming innocent and hapless Nigerians. 80% of the sitting Governors in Nigeria today did not win the elections. 80% of people in National Assembly stole their way to the exalted positions. The Ohakims, Yagudus and others of this world who are moving to PDP, therefore inflicting pains and creating crisis within the Party that brought them to power should know that we are taking note of their activities. Only foolish leaders will ignore the sufferings of his people. If you are privileged to travel to other countries especially those of them that were in the same level with Nigeria in the 60s, 70s and 80s you will feel like gathering Nigerian leaders together and have them destroyed. Anger will choke you for our collective failure.
For the avoidance of doubt, the purpose of this piece is to remind those who destroyed Nigeria that we know them very well. Former President Obasanjo forced contractors to abandon the Otta flyover in order to construct the roads leading to his Bells University. Now ask yourself: what type of leader will subject millions of his subjects to unwanton and untold hardship because of a private agenda? It is only a totally debased and deranged person that can do this. More than 5000 Nigerians died for this democracy, many of them lost their limbs for it, while some others lost their means of livelihood for it and yet our emergency leaders behave as if we know nothing. The Day of Judgment cometh!
Joe Igbokwe
Lagos
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