The Ekitigate Scandal: A Government-Vessel Unto Dishonour
After the assassination of President JF Kennedy in 1963, his Vice President, Lyndon Johnson became the president. By 1965, he contested and won the election for the first time on his ticket and by 1968 he decided voluntarily not to run but this decision is not too far from the pressure he was facing as a result of American-Vietnamese war which eventually ended in 1970. This is the more reason I vehemently believe that Jonathan Goodluck has every civil right to re-contest election in 2015.
By 1969 Richard Nixon became the president and governed till 1973. He re-contested but this time around his popularity has faded like the beauty of woman of easy virtue and the popular case of 'water gate Scandal' occurred. Having weighed all options and foreseeing the embarrassment awaiting him in the House of Rep (Lower House), he quickly resigned which made him the first American President to resign from office, paving way for his Vice President, Gerald who ruled till 1977 before Carter came to the 'Seat of Authority' in America.
Unfortunately, the reverse is the case in Nigeria, my country home.
'Nigeria with all their plights I love and hail thee.' It is quite disgusting to the 'witnesses to tears' in Ekiti state where few individuals committed such a grievous atrocity and murdered democracy and the last thing that broke the Carmel's back is the nomination and the subsequent confirmation of one of the key actors in this scandal saga by our 'National Assemblage of Political Armed Robbers' (whose bogus allowances cannot be justified anywhere in the whole wide world) who see themselves as distinguished men in the society (with the exception of few, devoid of political affiliation).
It is a dangerous trend for our nascent democracy when we begin to use political appointments to settle aggrieved party members because of 'selfish, prebendalous personal interest.'
Mr. President Sir, I like you as a person but I have issue with the way you are quick in dismissing issues that are of National concern in defence of a region or party members. the first of such cases was the October 1 Eagle Square bomb saga where some beautiful Nigerians died and their bodies were mangles beyond recognition, few minutes later you told Nigerians that Niger Delta Boys cannot do that but today Henry Okah, Charles Okah and others (from Niger Delta) are facing it hard over the incidence.
It's wrong for a sitting president to act as if he is a president over a particular region. On some other occasions you spoke in defence of Stalla Oduah and Alison Madueke. And the most recent is the manner in which you dismissed the 'Ekitigate Scandal' and already you have pre-empted the investigation even if at all there will be one, it will never be credible because Mr. President has spoken. Most of these things you say it's because you never had the vision of becoming Mr. President, you stumbled into it and you don't understand the nitty-gritty of governance hence, the quick responses to issues without necessarily applying slow to act and quick to listen approach.
The greatest tragedy to befall any democratic setting is when the mandate of the masses is sabotaged and stolen. The Ekiti election-rigging allegation with evidence is something you should have swung into action by calling for investigation if truly you are a democrat. Unfortunately, you have hurriedly dismissed it before calling for investigation.
Under your watch, Mr. President so many things have happened ranging from corruption cases (Oduah, Alison) , kidnapping, maiming of innocent souls, organised crime against democracy (election rigging), Chibok girls abduction, impunity of the highest order, job-scam (selling jobs), political appointment-settlement (Obanikoro) , intolerance for constructive criticism (Doyin, Abati), inflation, devaluation of naira (210 naira to 1 dollar), award of contracts to militants (Tompolo, Asari), rapid decline in our foreign reserve, clannish, regional favouritism and nepotism and many more. However, I must commend the effort of this administration in the area of agriculture, Akinwumi, I say weldone! You are thinking for Nigerians. Unlike Obanikoro whose thinking is how to rig election, how to snatch girl-friends of young Nigerian guys (are you surprised!? We know him too well) and how to steal our common wealth.
Death is an inevitable end, change is a must! We supported you in 2011 believing you were the change but we made mistake and we have realised having carefully assessed your administration. It is a colossal failure. Nigerians were blind but now they can see, in few days to come you will understand better, Mr. President. However, I will plead with you to conduct free and fair election with the usage of card reader so that when you fail the election, you will go down in the anal of history as the first incumbent Nigerian president to lose election but under free and fair election. I love when students fail with honour that is; no attempt is made to cheat. After all, 'a government-vessel unto dishonour' could be honoured after it might have left power with the last singular action.
Osobu Alexander
(A motivational writer)
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