Saying that Nigerians are suffering is to put it mildly. Suffering has literally become the second name of many Nigerians. In the last six months, suicide cases have increased. Husbands and fathers are taking their own lives over their inability to meet the basic needs of their families. A good number of women have also committed suicide on account of mounting matrimonial scuffles that are directly related to the hard times. But the unfortunate aspect of it all is that political leaders are not sufficiently perturbed by the level of poverty in the land and its associated social problems. While the suffering is mounting, they are rolling out new laws that further complicate matters for the common man. In the last six months, many city dwellers have lost their shops and offices to the bulldozers of state governments. While it is desirable to have an orderly environment, government must at all time put a human face to its laws and policies to ensure that lives are not lost unnecessarily. After all, environment was made for man and not the other way round. If we consider what it takes to create a single soul, it becomes very difficult to cause a soul to die unnecessarily. Government and all those responsible for taking decisions that affect fellow human lives must be humane in their approach to such decisions. Life is precious and must be protected at all costs.
A familiar tune
Some prominent Igbo sons trod the familiar path and rehashed the old tune the other day in Lagos. They lamented that Ndigbo had been hard-done-by in Nigeria.
If it were youths that made the lamentation, I would not have bothered, but the fact that this was from men who had lived all their lives outside Igboland and hardly champion the drive for the recognition that had eluded the people.
It was also laughable that the event where this new cries were being made was held in Lagos. Can you imagine, an Igbo man authored a book that is talking about ‘The Land of My Birth’ he decided to launch it in Lagos! And they are still crying. Is Lagos your land of birth? I thought such books should be launched in Igboland to show the seriousness of the true search for Igbonness. Many of those who have now taken over the position of Prophet Jeremiah in their lamentation are wealthy people who made their money in the larger Nigeria. A good number of them served governments at various levels and many of them have their children school abroad and are living there; how do we think Igbo? Do they speak up in government circles where they should raise their voices in matters that concern Igbo, or they speak in hush tones, but when they gather as Igbo people they begin to sing. Why are we doing this to ourselves? Their brothers are being held and maligned for speaking out that they are not comfortable with their condition in Nigeria, have the Igbo elite gone to Abuja and strongly make case for them? But we hear government entering into negotiations with outright murderers. Among those listed to have shed the “crocodile tears” are a former Chief of General Staff (Vice President in the military era) Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, retd; ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia; Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, retd; founding Chairman of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Prof Anya Anya; former President of Nigerian Bar Association,NBA, Chief Olisa Agbakoba; Chief Alex Oti; Prof Pat Utomi, and Ms Onyeka Onwenu.
Very ephemeral
Nothing on earth ever remains constant. There is time for everything under the sun. A time to play politics and a time to retire. Penultimate Saturday, Anthony Anenih, a former chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic party (PDP) took a bow from partisan politics. Anenih, until then had been a political juggernaut who at various times had been a member of the cabal. In the 16- year occupation of the power stool by the PDP, the Uromi, Edo State-born politician towered like a colossus in the nation’s political firmament. His words were law; within that period, he held several positions and was among those who determined who got what in the country. At some point, Anenih took his influence to a ridiculous level when he insisted “there’s no vacancy in the Villa.” He made the statement during Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure in 2003; he repeated same in December 2010, warning the likes of Atiku Abubakar to steer clear. Anenih was many things in the nations’ politics to the point that he was tagged “Mr. Fix It”. Those who had cause to lock horns with him are still nursing the wounds. But that was then. His power/influence whittled down in his native state of Edo, when Adams Oshiomhole became governor. Since Goodluck Jonathan lost his bid to return to the Villa in 2015, Anenih has been largely quiet and invisible. He told the gathering in Abuja the other day that he was quitting partisan politics because according to him, “I am persuaded that I have no more ambition or any point to prove in politics.” But viewed critically, it is a forced retirement like some other PDP goons had also done. They know they are irrelevant in the current dispensation and have nothing positive to contribute or may not be allowed to make such contributions, so the best way to avoid ridicule is to publicly announce their withdrawal. So, if Chief Tony Anenih would declare by himself that he was tired of partisan politics, a lot must have happened to him. It is a lesson for everyone, including those that are currently vibrant on the political stage that “all is vanity upon vanity and vexation of the spirit.”
Now that Ondo election has been won and lost
The hullabaloo over the gubernatorial election in Ondo State has come and gone. Before the election, we watched as the actors in the contest moved round the state preaching messages of hope to the people. We heard about how Olusegun Mimiko was allegedly trying to strike a deal with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to produce the secretary to the state government for the in-coming administration. We saw how Jimoh Ibrahim played the spoiler role and all the shenanigans that characterized the exercise. It was also said that Bola Ahmed Tinubu nearly slipped into anti-party mode in his rage over the failure of his candidate to pick the ticket. But he made a volte face immediately INEC pronounced Rotimi Akeredolu winner. We also heard that the governor-elect was trying to behave like an over-pampered newly married lady, when he paid a thank-you-visit to the villa. The good thing about the election is that we did not hear stories of people being killed. Like it is being said that all that is done in war is fair, the new governor must see every indigene of the state as his ‘egbon’ and carry everyone along, irrespective of party leaning. All hatchets must be buried in the interest of the state.
Ball darkness at Yuletide likely
The report last Friday that the national power generation capacity has dropped from 4,285 megawatts recorded in September 16 to 3,321 megawatts, was a sad news indeed and gave indication that Nigerians are likely going to mark the Yuletide in ball darkness.
They said the problem is still that of gas. This gas of a thing has become a serious issue for Nigeria and there seems not to be any solution in sight. Some of us thought that with a government that promises Change, life would be a lot more worth living. Some of us also thought that giving Nigerians light should not be a rocket science. But we’re wrong.
Someone in the know told us that the “situation in power generation is very obvious and clear. The fact remains that we at the generation end of the value chain are quite handicapped at the moment, with the logs of market debts owed us, which has risen to over 400 billion. It is noteworthy that most of the generating power plants have been disconnected from the supply of gas simply because we are unable to pay for gas supplied. The situation is getting bad and should be addressed as urgently as they should because the country’s power supply is dependent on how much we generate.” That sounded like bad news for consumers this period of festivity. Too bad!
Zebulon Agomuo
