DELE MOMODU AND THE MOCKERY OF PATRIOTISM

Dele Momodu's column in Thisday Newspapers, Pendulum, has become a platform that he freely uses to mock the collective will of Nigerians and weekly cast aspersions on President Goodluck Jonathan.

After woefully losing the 2011 Presidential election to President Jonathan and thereafter pretending to be friendly with the Presidency, Dele Momodu fell out with the Presidency when it became clear that President Jonathan had his eyes focused on the goals of making Nigeria great, rather than allowing some Nigerians like Momodu hijack the nation and sing lullabies in the Ovation.

So many stories have been told as to why Momodu ran from the President. While we may not ascertain the accurate report, one thing is clear. Momodu is deeply sad. This has negatively affected his perception of the reality on ground. As a result of the deep hurt Momodu feels towards President Jonathan, he has relegated the overriding interest of the nation to the background. Patriotism has taken flight and he is effectively in the club of defeated unhappy politicians who use false patriotism as a tool to unsettle the nation and her leadership.

Thisday should realise that the column Pendulum is no longer being used for the good of the larger society, but simply for Momodu to settle scores and deride President Jonathan.

Momodu's piece, “Before We Return to 1983″ is the height of insensitivity. It is the height of the tyranny of the minority. Trying desperately to use the control of the media to mislead Nigerians and sell a negative opposition agenda.

A content analysis of Momodu's articles for weeks indicate that he promotes the leading opposition party and tries to create the false impression that nothing good can come out of the ruling party. He tries desperately but without much success to prove that the people are no longer with the ruling party.

The Ekiti governorship election has proved people like him wrong. It has shown that more Nigerians are getting tired of the tyranny of the minority as championed by politicians like Momodu. But rather than respect the decision of the people not to be hoodwinked, Dele Momodu and his friends have entered another phase of orchestrated propaganda in a last ditch effort to save their political pot of soup threatened in their spheres of manipulation.

Two desperate statements made by Momodu in his article under review are extremely disheartening and they bring to the fore his real interest. This interest is at variance with the collective will of the Nigerian people.

First, Momodu who pretends to be a politician and a democrat openly all through that ill-fated write-up canvassed military coup subtly. He threatened Nigerians with a repeat of 1983, unless his political clan is allowed to seize power without the consent of the people.

Momodu accused President Jonathan of being desperate for power, while he clearly displayed his desperation for power and that of his political group. Momodu reasoned that the enemies of the President are against him because of his quest for power. We have heard this unfortunate reasoning countless times. Opposition figures trying hard to justify the terrorism being unleashed on our beloved nation.

The second regrettable view expressed by Momodu was the suggestion that terrorism in Nigeria will only come to an end if Jonathan shelves his second term bid. Hear Momodu: “he needs to sacrifice himself by not seeking a re-election and supporting someone else”. It is rather sad that this veteran journalist would turn himself into a spokesman of undemocratic forces.

Why is Momodu and his colleagues in the anti-democratic club afraid of Jonathan? Why are they keen on destroying this nation just because they are afraid of Jonathan? Why are they ready to jeopardize almost two decades of democracy because they are in the minority?

Momodu is a personification of those who are smarting from the wind of change that has fundamentally affected the power equation of the country. A wind that has swept away the old brigade and entrenched a new system where things are beginning to take shape. The trains are running again, the education sector is being fixed, agriculture has been redefined and roads and bridges are being constructed across the country. The airports have been rehabilitated and the electoral process has been reformed. I am constrained by space as I attempt to highlight critical areas of success by the Jonathan administration.

Nigerians are not deceived by the false self-righteousness of the likes of Momodu. They cannot draw this nation back to 1983. Nigerians have since moved ahead and we have embraced democracy.

We cannot allow members of the minority to intimidate the majority through unfounded blackmail, terrorism and unproductive propaganda. The Ekiti people have made their statement without fear of intimidation, Nigerians will do same in 2015. It is shocking that the vocal minority want to hound the majority into silence. They have skillfully denied the majority their voice in the mainstream and social media. So when any rational Nigerian speaks, they claim he is been bought over. One wonders under what “buy over” platform Momodu is operating from.

My only advice to Momodu and his friends is that rather than pray for Jonathan not to contest next year's election, they should promote the qualities of their preferred candidate and allow Nigerians make an informed choice. Or Momodu should volunteer and receive another political lesson. That is what democrats do. Not to threaten the people with needless political blackmail.

This pattern of unleashing negative propaganda against any election where the opposition is defeated has lost steam. The opposition strategists should look for another weapon. They lampooned Anambra election, but at the election tribunal they failed to prove their stories. They have since gone quiet.

In Ekiti State, the straw they are clutching as a face saving measure has been the presence of security personnel. We all know that law abiding citizens welcome security presence. It appears the security personnel altered their plot against Ekiti people.

Written By Simeon Nwakaudu