The Nigerian Project

 The Presidential Election
THE LOSERS – HALL OF SHAME
(PART 1)
In my first tranch of this discourse, I dwelt on the winners of the just concluded presidential election whom I believe deserve to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Today, I will discuss the losers, whose place belong in the despicable Hall of Shame. I may not mention names, for they know themselves more than the world knows them. They cannot hide behind their finger, nor cover the sun with their palm.


MR KNOW-ALL
Here is a man to whom Nigeria has been very kind, but who, at every opportunity, seeks to destroy her, including anyone who disagrees with him. He is “MR KNOW-ALL”, the “baba” of Nigeria, the self-appointed “Messiah” of Nigeria, who taketh away all the sins of the world. He believes, delusionally, that he is like Christ, that “happy are those who are called to His supper”. In his futile and vainglorious pretensions at redemptive messianism in Nigeria, he has always corruptly appropriated to himself honours and garlands he does not deserve. A smart Alec, he has been very opportunistic.

            Benjamin Adekunle, the gallant and fearless “Black scorpion” of the 3rd Marine Commando fame, fought with all his might and literally won Nigeria's Civil war (Read Alabi Isama's detailed account of the Nigerian Civil war). Our man here appropriated the honour, having been lucky to have been handed the insignia of surrender by Colonel Archibong, at a time he had taken over control of the 3rd Marine Commando from unsung Adekunle. In all his books, he seeks to deify and canonise himself in the mould of imperial Roman gods and invincible Greek mythologists of fabled conquests, unassailable achievements, and father figure of the Nigerian nation. When invited to the House of Representatives over billions of dollars that got missing under his very nose, particularly in the power sector, he arrogantly defied the invitation. He headed the Petroleum Resources Ministry all alone, accounting to no one, but himself. He misused billions of Nigerian's money, seeking a third term, with “Ghana-Must-Go” bags loaded with naira and dollars, which were used to bribe legislators. He failed dismally. Even the Supreme Court was not left out of his utmost contempt and disdain, when he blatantly defied its judgment to release Lagos State Government funds allocated to it from the federation account. It took Yar'adua few weeks in office to release the allocations to then Governor Bola Tinubu, who, ironically, later genuflected and begged this same “god” to be the “navigator” of his political party, APC. Politicians, sorry Politrickcians, what can they not do to get power!
            Not only did he defy a court order not to release his latest book, “My watch” (Note his I, myself and me penchant, in his books, “My command”, “Not my will”, “My watch”), he launched the book with éclat and razmattaz, both in Nigeria and UK, and even abused the judge who made the order thoroughly, almost describing him as an illiterate. To him, the Rule of Law was not, and is not in his dictionary. He had, during his dictatorial civilian rule, sent military troops to destroy and level down Odi and Zaki Biam communities, for asking for their rights under a pseudo democracy that he operated. He operated in the mould of Louise IVX of France, of the “L' etat  ce'et moi” (I am the state) fame.
He employed the instrumentality of the EFCC to hunt down governors, some of whom were muzzled out of office through illegal “impeachment” by 6 out of 24 legislators. Such was the gross impunity. Now, he craves to be Nigeria's moral compass. Haba!
            From an impecunious church rat who was rotting away in a Maiduguri prison, after escaping the death sentence imposed on him under dictator Abacha, by the whiskers, he was literally (he is always lucky), dragged out of prison and catapulted into Aso Villa, without any struggle, sweat, money or campaigns. This was to pacify his South West geopolitical zone, whose illustrious son, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, had been mindlessly deprived of becoming Nigeria's president after a peaceful, free, fair and credible election which he swept across the country, even in military and Police barracks. He was murdered in cold blood in government custody. This man never considered, in his eight years in government, Abiola worthy of any honour, or immortalisation. Today, thanks to wanton abuse of power, he owns one of the best nursery, primary, secondary and University institutions in Nigeria, BELLS, which he developed and nurtured while in office. He built, perhaps unarguably, the best and biggest library in Africa, using his position as President to launch and collect from browbeaten and intimidated business munguls and stakeholders, humongous sums running in to billions of naira.
            He seeks to control, command, dictate and impose his will on others, and when these fail, he destroys me. Under the platform of a political party in which he had ruled Nigeria for eight years, and even became Chairman of its Board of Trustees, amending the party's Constitution to exclude any other person who was never a former president or Head of State as its Chairman, he thrived. When his self appointed and anointed candidates, Yar'adua (remember his infamous “Umaru, are you still alive, or are you dead” phone call during one campaign) and Jonathan, became their own men and rejected dictation from his Otta farm, he swiftly moved against them, abused, denigrated and insulted them openly, with public letters. He shamelessly ordered the membership card of his political party that rehabilitated him and brought him to lime light from his dismal state of nadir, to be torn to shreds in the full glare of television cameras.