Nigeria's maintenance of status quo
July 2 2016 By Abiodun Giwa
Bola Tinubu, President Muhammed Buhari
The Punch newspapers in Nigeria has reported names and places of origin of senior military appointees by the current government of Muhammed Buhari in its Saturday online edition.
The report about a deliberate act of lopsidedness in favor of the northern part of the country in political appointments, is a reminder of same past political acts in the country by successive leaders from the north.
The act, which groups in the South of the country have have reportedly called attention of authorities in the country, also reminds observers of the country's politics and the number of years that rulers from the north have been in control, compared to rulers from the South.
Curious observers see this development as part of effort of the new government in the country to maintain the status quo in favor of the north, against its promise of change during the electioneering campaign, in continuation of the domination by the north. The change that the government is enforcing with seeming military fiat is quick to remind observers of the days prior to the French Revolution, with prohibitive prices of essential commodities and silencing of dissent, with the guise of fighting corruption.
Let's get back to the issue of the lopsidedness in government appointments that appears veritably in favor of the North as published by the Punch newspapers. Recently, Noah Olanrewaju reproduced and shared a piece by General Adeyinka Adebayo, said to be an open letter to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and currently a national leader of the All Progressive party, the ruling party.
According to Olarenwaju, he believes that by the statement in the piece that Adebayo has passed the mantle of leadership of Yoruba land to Tinubu. After reading Adebayo's long letter to Tinubu, I disagree with Olanrewaju's perception that Adebayo's message was an act of passing the Yoruba's mantle leadership to Tinubu.
It is true that Adebayo hails Tinubu's role in the last election in the country that paves the way for the current government, and Adebayo has used his letter to remind Tinubu calling Tinubu's that as part of leadership of the party in power to the current situation in Yoruba land in term of development. And if a man like Adebayo is alive and can write that type of letter to Tinubu, it will not be fair to say he has passed the mantle of leadership over to him, considering the role he has played in the Yoruba and the Nigerian politics.
Admit that the issue of regional or tribal leadership and lopsidedness of development by sectional leaders to develop their areas in favor of other areas have been part of the problem in the Nigerian politics that requires tinkering with. It is possible that the type of lopsidedness in the appointment of military chiefs by Buhari may have been part of what prompted Adebayo's letter to Tinubu, with a reminder to him that charity begins at home.
Why wouldn't Adebayo reminded Tinubu of the nature of politics in the country, given his own experience as a former governor in the Western Region, who witnessed the politics in the Army of his time as an officer, when Ahmadu Bello pointedly encouraged young Northerners to join the army, to ensure a place of leadership for Northerners in the country's future? Didn't Bello's encouragement work for the mostly half educated officers from the North, who sacked elected governments in the name of corruption and led the country virtually in number of years against their Southern counterparts? And whenever a Southerner is in the saddle, there is the tendency of the Sokoto Caliphate to be in control with a plum appointment for one of their children and the president a mere figure head. imagine Ibrahim Dasuki, a former military officer playing the role of financier in Goodluck Jonathan's government, taking money directly from the Central Bank and dolling it out to "Jeun Koku and Waki and Die" members of his party, in the name of election campaign finance, with Goodluck as merely a powerless president.
If not for this regional or tribal drive for dominance, with the North in the forefront of seeking leadership, allowing the likes of Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Sanni Abacha, to aspire to leadership and pushed the country to the edge and almost beyond the precipice, with their demonstration of lack of knowledge and know-how about in governance, Nigeria will be a better place today. Count the number of lives that have been destroyed by the inordinate wish by the Northerners to rule at all cost, pushed the development in the North much against the areas in the South, where the country generates its income.
No one is against development of any particular area. The clamor is for government to make the people see the people and the country as one to be evenly developed and for government appointments to be evenly distributed. If the government in power says it has given appointments based on qualifications and ability to perform, the claim will not stand, because there are more people in the south of the country, who are more qualified than their counterparts in the North.
The same Northern domination, which past Northern leaders have maintained, with Northerners being favored with appointments, is what Muhammed Buhari is currently maintaining with the lopsidedness in his political appointments. This is the development, which in the past has turned many qualified people in the South to play the role servicing their own needs in neglect of their people, when they find themselves in government.
It is what has led to the politics of self in Nigeria against politics of the people, because Northern leaders only believe in amassing wealth, while the majority poor are expected to be fed by the few wealthy. It is the stupid political culture that has retard development in the country and sentenced many Nigerians to seek livelihood abroad, which requires drastic change.
If Buhari's attention is not called to the current trend in his government's appointments for him to be seen to have made a change before he completes his first term in office and consolidate to force his way into a second term in office, the likes of Tinubu and others from the South, who are fortunate to have access to whatever they need in the current government will take care of their personal needs, and the nation will remain as it has always been, or worse by the time Buhari will be leaving office.
Note: 'Jeun Koku and Waki and Die' is originally a title to one of Fela Anikulapo Kuti's popular recordings.
The report about a deliberate act of lopsidedness in favor of the northern part of the country in political appointments, is a reminder of same past political acts in the country by successive leaders from the north.
The act, which groups in the South of the country have have reportedly called attention of authorities in the country, also reminds observers of the country's politics and the number of years that rulers from the north have been in control, compared to rulers from the South.
Curious observers see this development as part of effort of the new government in the country to maintain the status quo in favor of the north, against its promise of change during the electioneering campaign, in continuation of the domination by the north. The change that the government is enforcing with seeming military fiat is quick to remind observers of the days prior to the French Revolution, with prohibitive prices of essential commodities and silencing of dissent, with the guise of fighting corruption.
Let's get back to the issue of the lopsidedness in government appointments that appears veritably in favor of the North as published by the Punch newspapers. Recently, Noah Olanrewaju reproduced and shared a piece by General Adeyinka Adebayo, said to be an open letter to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and currently a national leader of the All Progressive party, the ruling party.
According to Olarenwaju, he believes that by the statement in the piece that Adebayo has passed the mantle of leadership of Yoruba land to Tinubu. After reading Adebayo's long letter to Tinubu, I disagree with Olanrewaju's perception that Adebayo's message was an act of passing the Yoruba's mantle leadership to Tinubu.
It is true that Adebayo hails Tinubu's role in the last election in the country that paves the way for the current government, and Adebayo has used his letter to remind Tinubu calling Tinubu's that as part of leadership of the party in power to the current situation in Yoruba land in term of development. And if a man like Adebayo is alive and can write that type of letter to Tinubu, it will not be fair to say he has passed the mantle of leadership over to him, considering the role he has played in the Yoruba and the Nigerian politics.
Admit that the issue of regional or tribal leadership and lopsidedness of development by sectional leaders to develop their areas in favor of other areas have been part of the problem in the Nigerian politics that requires tinkering with. It is possible that the type of lopsidedness in the appointment of military chiefs by Buhari may have been part of what prompted Adebayo's letter to Tinubu, with a reminder to him that charity begins at home.
Why wouldn't Adebayo reminded Tinubu of the nature of politics in the country, given his own experience as a former governor in the Western Region, who witnessed the politics in the Army of his time as an officer, when Ahmadu Bello pointedly encouraged young Northerners to join the army, to ensure a place of leadership for Northerners in the country's future? Didn't Bello's encouragement work for the mostly half educated officers from the North, who sacked elected governments in the name of corruption and led the country virtually in number of years against their Southern counterparts? And whenever a Southerner is in the saddle, there is the tendency of the Sokoto Caliphate to be in control with a plum appointment for one of their children and the president a mere figure head. imagine Ibrahim Dasuki, a former military officer playing the role of financier in Goodluck Jonathan's government, taking money directly from the Central Bank and dolling it out to "Jeun Koku and Waki and Die" members of his party, in the name of election campaign finance, with Goodluck as merely a powerless president.
If not for this regional or tribal drive for dominance, with the North in the forefront of seeking leadership, allowing the likes of Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Sanni Abacha, to aspire to leadership and pushed the country to the edge and almost beyond the precipice, with their demonstration of lack of knowledge and know-how about in governance, Nigeria will be a better place today. Count the number of lives that have been destroyed by the inordinate wish by the Northerners to rule at all cost, pushed the development in the North much against the areas in the South, where the country generates its income.
No one is against development of any particular area. The clamor is for government to make the people see the people and the country as one to be evenly developed and for government appointments to be evenly distributed. If the government in power says it has given appointments based on qualifications and ability to perform, the claim will not stand, because there are more people in the south of the country, who are more qualified than their counterparts in the North.
The same Northern domination, which past Northern leaders have maintained, with Northerners being favored with appointments, is what Muhammed Buhari is currently maintaining with the lopsidedness in his political appointments. This is the development, which in the past has turned many qualified people in the South to play the role servicing their own needs in neglect of their people, when they find themselves in government.
It is what has led to the politics of self in Nigeria against politics of the people, because Northern leaders only believe in amassing wealth, while the majority poor are expected to be fed by the few wealthy. It is the stupid political culture that has retard development in the country and sentenced many Nigerians to seek livelihood abroad, which requires drastic change.
If Buhari's attention is not called to the current trend in his government's appointments for him to be seen to have made a change before he completes his first term in office and consolidate to force his way into a second term in office, the likes of Tinubu and others from the South, who are fortunate to have access to whatever they need in the current government will take care of their personal needs, and the nation will remain as it has always been, or worse by the time Buhari will be leaving office.
Note: 'Jeun Koku and Waki and Die' is originally a title to one of Fela Anikulapo Kuti's popular recordings.
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