ZAMFARA STATE: MELTING THE METAL GREED OF LEGAL ROGUES by SHABA MAFU.

Zamfara State has always been known for its peculiarity. When democracy was restored in Nigeria in 1999, it was Zamfara State that introduced Sharia law as a full-blown legal system in the State defying the secularity of the Nigerian constitution. This was when Alhaji Shetima Yerima was the Governor. The legal system ‘died’ a natural death as rightly predicted by the then President of Nigeria, Chief Olushegun Matthew Aremu Obasanjo. The State has also been ruled most times by the opposition parties of the ANPP and the APC, until the present Governor who came to power of what could be seen as divine intervention. He is of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP.

In the run-up to the gubernatorial elections in the State held on March 9, 2019, the then ruling party in the State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) could not conduct acceptable primaries that met the conditions and acceptability of the Electoral Umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC). The candidates produced by the primaries were all rejected by Professor Mahmoud Yakubu-led INEC. Intrigues, court judgments, and counter-judgments reeled out from Nigerian Courts just to ensure that the APC participated in the elections. The party actually participated in the elections by virtue of the Appeal Court ruling. Unfortunately for them, at the end of the exercise, the Supreme Court in its lead judgment by Justice Paul  Adamu Galinji on the 24^th May, 2019, held that all the votes cast for the APC during the elections were ‘wasted votes”.  He further declared that all the political parties with the highest second votes in the elections and the required spread are elected into the various elective positions. This was the circumstance that brought the incumbent Governor Bello Matawalle into the exalted position as the Governor of Zamfara State.

When the Governor assumed office, it appeared that the bandits too in Zamfara were all waiting to be equally sworn in to their own offices with him. Zamfara State in no time was besieged with bandits and kidnappers and it appeared there was war in the entire State. The Governor in his dexterity thought of what to do to curb this unacceptable and unprecedented tide of violence and insecurity. In his wits, he proposed and declared amnesty for repentant bandits. The decision was criticized by many. But as a man in the conviction of his own vision, he remained undeterred by the criticisms. Like an esoteric magical wand, no sooner than later after the declared amnesty, the spate of insecurity in the State subsided drastically and dramatically, as bandits voluntarily surrendered and 'submitted' their weapons of destruction to the Amnesty Committee. This was a feat on the side of this Governor.

Some days ago, the immediate past Governor of the State Alhaji Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari wrote a letter to the Governor that his monthly upkeep of N10 Million (Ten Million Naira) and his pensions have not been paid for some time now. The former House of Assembly, when Abdulaziz was the Governor of the State under the APC rule, had passed a bill signed into law that all former Governors and their Deputies, the Speakers, and their Deputies were entitled to some whooping monthly upkeep running into millions of Naira. This was what the former Governor banked upon to write a reminder to the incumbent Governor Matawalle. Yari complaining that since he has left office, he was only paid his monthly N10Million, just twice, that was in the moths of June and July 2019.

In a deft move by the action Governor, he coordinated an assault against this repressive law passed by the previous government. Without any iota of conscience, how could a past Governor be demanding the sum of N10 Million every month for his upkeep, besides his monthly pensions? The present crop of divinely elected or appointed leaders in Zamfara State has abolished this so-called law that was on the side of the legal rogues.  This is the action of a man who has a vision for the common man.  The demand of former Governor Yari is not only selfish and roguish but a dearth of common sense of feeling for a feeble economy such as Zamfara's.

In the first instance, how does Yari want Zamfara State to sustain the dolling out of such an amount of money to someone who ought to be thinking of what further contributions he could make to such a State? How can a State that is struggling to pay its pensioners and workers their entitlements, be equally struggling to service roguish entitlements of past leaders? There are civil servants that have served the government for the statutory thirty-five years whose cumulative pensions are not up to what Yari would earn in a month. If the former Governor is paid N10 Million every month, then in a year he earns N120 Million for grossly doing nothing for the State apart from gallivanting everywhere across the globe brandishing his former status as a former Governor of a poor State. We must commend Governor Matawalle for stopping this metal thievery. What he did is beyond the rudimental and sick politicking in Nigeria. Any right-thinking mind will commend this action irrespective of party affiliation.

We urge other States executing this inordinate illegality to emulate the decision of the incumbent Governor of Zamfara State and stop this executive stealing. More so, the Governors Forum should use that platform to learn from one another. It is not formed to take a common front on how to cheat the governed, for instance, arriving at a consensus on not paying the new minimum wage to workers or their grand plan of becoming Senators after their tenure is ended. Wise and sagacious Governors like Matawalle of Zamfara State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State are good points of reference for prompt emulation by other Governors. These are men of great coordination and wisdom to rule. The Governors Forum should be a forum to borrow and share sophisticated and helpful ideas for good governance.

Compliments to Governor Matawalle and the current Zamfara State House of Assembly for expeditiously enacting a law abolishing the deliberate waste of State resources. If APC had won Zamfara State this time, such waste could not have been curtailed because of partisan party affiliation and primordial solidarity. More so, the idol of godfatherism would have played a vital part, particularly if Yari was instrumental to the emergence of his successor. The coming of Governor Matawalle and his team was divine from all reckoning so far.

BAYELSA ELECTION: IS DR GOODLUCK JONATHAN A CIVILIAN COUP PLOTTER? By Mafu SHABA.

If prophets descended raw from Heaven and told Nigerians, and particularly the Bayelsans that Bayelsa State would be overrun by the opposition political party in the State, the All Progressives Congress, in the November 16, 2019, gubernatorial elections, no one would readily believe. What happened in 2015 when the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was summarily dislodged by the All Peoples Congress in the presidential elections was replicated in Bayelsa state after twenty years of PDP’s holding forth in that State. Coincidentally or is it by fate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan former Nigerian President was involved in both events either actively or passively.

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is from Bayelsa State; a strong PDP State since 1999 when democracy was restored to Nigeria. He has been in that party for the past twenty years. It was on this political party that he became the President of Nigeria in 2011. But since 2015, the APC has been ruling at the national level following the defeat of then-President Goodluck Jonathan in the general elections held that year. In 2019, Bayelsa State, the home State of Jonathan has fallen into the hands of the APC as well. So he is primarily breathing in the APC political air wherever he goes in Nigeria, even right in his own state.

On Saturday, November 16, 2019, there was an election in Kogi and Bayelsa States of Nigeria for gubernatorial seats. Both States were won by the APC. More mesmerizing was the defeat of the PDP in Bayelsa State.  Kogi State was hotly contested with all intrigues and alleged violence involved. Summarily, the APC won in Kogi State. The defeat of the PDP in Bayelsa State was more surprising. 

The incumbent Governor, Mr. Seriake Henry Dickson’s name will go down memory lane on how in his time PDP in Bayelsa State fell into the hands of the opposition party just as Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s name has already been engraved to history as the first civilian President to be defeated by an opposition party in Nigeria’s political history. It was learnt that Bayelsa PDP fell primarily because of the internal wrangling occasioned by the alleged acidic selfishness of the incumbent Governor who like his political counterparts around the country was eyeing the Senatorial seat after he has left office. And that he wanted to single-handedly pick his successor, Duoye Diri, to occupy the Government seat. This selfishness did not obviously go down well with most party leaders.

The stance of the Governor prompted the visit of two former Presidents of the country. They were Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; both former Presidents were produced by the PDP. They visited Seriake Dickson possibly to convince him to drop or adjust his suicidal plans. The Governor allegedly rebuffed the visit of these wise men.  The consequence was the summary defeat of the Governor and his party and the consequent victory of the opposition 

Before the elections, the mother of Dr. Jonathan prayed for the APC candidate, David Lyon. Dr. Jonathan was said to have also told Bayelsans to vote for the candidate of their choice since both candidates of the APC and the PDP were all his ‘children’. This was a subtle way of not endorsing the candidate of the PDP, Duoye Diri. Before the Election Day, it was seen that the APC candidate, Lyon, who is now the Governor-elect was seen in the house of Dr. Jonathan, portending to the fact that the former President has thrown his political weight behind him. In all these, the incumbent Dickson remained irredeemably adamant to all known realities of the possible outcome of the Bayelsa elections. He stuck to his guns like the characteristic Nigerian politicians whose lives are consumed by deadly selfishness. Dickson did not care what the consequences of his actions would cost him and the entire party.  Rather than concede personal egotism, he placed his party on the slaughter slab for deliberate butchering. And butchering they did actually!

Now that the ruling party has lost its ground to the opposition in Bayelsa State, some have begun to point to Dr. Jonathan that he was the one that planned the civilian coup that ousted the PDP in Bayelsa State. I personally disagree with this submission. Jonathan visited Dickson; he humbled himself and respected the office of the Governor by the visit. I am not personally surprised because Jonathan has been known for his humility. The two former presidents tried to remove the log of wood from Seriake’s eyes. But the Governor ordered for more superglue to fasten the bolts of his glaucoma as precipitated by his suicidal selfishness. If Jonathan’s mother prayed for Lyon, she has a right to do so as an elder, a mother, a mother of a national figure.  Dickson downplayed the power of Elders. Many may have been seriously aggrieved for his rebuffing the visits of the former Presidents and hiss grand design to outwit the entire state. This, therefore, led to a protest vote by the Bayelsans.  If PDP had won, it could have been compared with the elongation of the hitherto political dynasty of the Sarakis in Kwara State; but the Bayelsans are not Kwarans The best way to treat pride and obstinacy is to puncture the tube of their survival.

Dr. Jonathan should be left alone; for he is not a civilian coup plotter. All blame should be heaped firmly on the head of Seriake Dickson and all the sycophants who urged him on in his selfishness, as he wanted to turn Bayelsa into his personal estate. I would also want the Nigerian electorates to learn from the people of Bayelsa State that they are well informed and no-nonsense people. It is a big lesson to the greedy; and also to the electorates that in sane climes, sovereignty belongs to the electorates (the People) in a democracy. True leaders are actually followers and not the other way round. Through the instrumentality of the ballot, we should sack any disgraceful and aberrant, self-conceited leaders. Partyism should settle as second fiddles in dealing with political deviants. We should settle for those ready to dispense the dividends of democracy as we elect leaders into political offices.

Finally, if anyone has any grievance against Jonathan concerning the alleged Malabu Oil deal, he should petition the EFCC. As for Bayelsa State, the APC will rule there for a long time.

THROWING STONE AT THE SATAN IN THE YAM-EATING SENATOR by SHABA Mafu.

The yearly festival of the Muslims usually culminates in a hajj to (the pilgrimage) to Mecca as not just a fulfillment of one of the cardinal beliefs of that religion, but also to stone the devil in such a celebrated visit. This has been the desire of every Muslim despite the fact that not all could realize this because of the financial cost implications. It does not make one less a Muslim if such one can’t afford to go on a pilgrimage.  One of the things that had interested me most in this pilgrimage experience is the collective resolve to throw stones at Satan. Millions do this. In both the Christian and Muslim religions, Satan and his activities are always denounced because they are an anathema to human existence. While Satan is disdained with passion in the Christian faith, the Muslims go further to show their own morbid hatred  by practically readjusting the brain-setting of Satan every year through the symbolic stoning by millions of Muslim faithful on this recalcitrant Satan. This is a practical lesson for those who align with Satan and his activities in the midst of a decent society such as some of our disgruntled public officials.

Recently, one of the distinguished Nigerian Senators and the longest-serving one in the Nigerian federal Parliament was invited to Germany by the Ibos living there for a festival.  The Ibos are one of the major tribes in Nigeria. The Senator was invited for their new Yam festival celebrations. Ike Ikweremadu, the man in question joyfully accepted the invitation. He practised the dancing steps several times at the backyard of the Senate House for a peculiar display over there in Germany. He may have also conducted more rehearsals during the breaks by the Senate; because it appears the Senators can even meet less than 80 days out of the constitutional 180 days to meet, without anyone holding them to ransom. These are the bourgeoisie in the impoverished Nigerian society who purchase their official cars with 5.5Billion Naira in spite of biting poverty amongst the majority of Nigerians.

Ekweremadu got to Luxemburg - Germany, the venue of the celebration. He waited patiently for the time the traditional Ibo music will rent the air and the exhibition of his practiced display of his imported dance-steps right away from Nigeria. His smiles broadened, reminiscent of the period when the Senators are about to share the booty – the National Cake! As the stage was about to be set for the dance, Ekweremadu treated to the preface of the programme, a programmed slap. He was first confused and tried to figure out whether the Ibos have a mixture of the German culture of introducing a particular ‘ceremonial’ slap in the Yam festival. While musing on the sudden development, another slap from the opposite direction greeted his fleshy cheeks. He knew that what was about to befall him was an introduction to a hellish treatment. Before he could think out an escape route, he was drenched in a rain of foreign blessings of German-customised blows wrenched out viciously by the foofoo-powered muscles of the IPOB members. The Senator turned round as to sample who might be sympathetic of his newly-found predicament. He saw everyone with clenched teeth of no mercy. He quickly remembered his athletic skills when he was in secondary school. He ran like a wild hog. At this time, he knew that the yam he was invited to come and eat will never be served, but even if served, he would be left with no tooth to masticate the memorial yam celebrated in strange blows.

Ekweremadu attempted to run to safety. But being that he was not familiar with the terrain, he hit brick walls. If this beating was in the Senate chambers, he knew every corner where he would maneuver to the chagrin of his assailants. But this time around, he was beaten to the game. More blows rammed his head, not actually knowing when and where the next blow would fall. It is said that when the need to run had not come to a woman with a massive backyard, she would think she is highly gifted. The gift becomes a curse if she is not able to maneuver for escape in trying times. The Senator forgot his chieftaincy title and his distinguished personality of a Senator on which he rode to swagger into the venue of the ceremony. His pontification soon faded to vanity when it was dawn on him that serious troubles awaited him... He flung away his walking stick and ran like a conventional mad man escaping from traditional flogging. He was “stoned” like Satan in Germany by his own people.

While this action is roundly condemnable because there are civilized ways of addressing grievances by not humiliating ourselves in the open glare of the international community but a lesson has been drawn from the action. But like stoning the Satan we need to also glean some lessons from the Acts of Ibos in Germany on the visit of Ekweremadu, the “I Yam that I Yam”. The lesson to others in authorities is that leadership is wholly about responsibility and accountability, and not by deliberate social segregation between the haves and the have-nots when elected to power. The Nigerian Senators are said to collect a whopping monthly salary of 13.5Million Naira. This is an organized and legitimized corruption especially in a society where even Master’s Degree holder would be offered a job of paltry N50,000 monthly salaries with stringent conditions of service. The constituency votes, funds allocated for the development of geo-political delineations which runs into millions of Naira never translate to any developmental projects of any constituencies. Some few years ago, a Local Government Councillor commissioned one electric pole in his community with millions of Naira budgeted for that sick project.  A governor launched Wheel Barrows for his citizens as part of alleviating poverty programme. Recently a Councilor from Ondo State commissioned four motor tyres. This is all they can do with public funds.  An audit to these kinds of projects would reveal that millions of Naira have already been sunk into such a ‘project’. This is the level of decay and grand corruption on the political scenario in Nigeria encouraged by the so-called law-makers.

Ekwemadu’s Germany-treatment is just a foundation-laying legacy of how these public officers would be beaten and stoned as they do to Satan, in coming days. The beating has started and I wished that the lesson learnt from Ekweremadu’s treatment by the malevolent IPOB members will go a long way in addressing the decay and lack of accountability of Nigerian public officers. If these money-bag politicians are treated to legal action, they have the means and ability to bail out themselves especially if they, fortunately, come across a corrupt Judge like them. In the interim, Ekweremadu’s treatment might be the immediate potent solution to the thieving officials.

IKE IKWEREMADU, THE YAM AND HIS BEATING by SHABA Mafu

The Country of many events including the beating of a Senator in far away Germany because of yam. Funny, not so!
Many more stories coming your way soon. Thanks for your reading patronage, and your earnest patience in waiting while the blogger was engaged.

EDO STATE POLITICS OF THE “HE-GOAT AND THE COCOYAM” by SHABA Mafu.

Politicking in Nigeria is not a profession. It is for those with wits; those who can compromise with ultimate personal interest in view, even sometimes to the detriment and betrayal of their political party on which they rode to their positions. Examples of such politicians are former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and a host of all grand party-hoppers. Those who are regarded as godfathers are in other words referred to as the King-Makers in the official language of politics. The 2019 general elections with the preceding campaigns and (exaggerated) promises of politicians are now over. The battle for ascendancy to different political positions has been fought, won and lost. It is time for action. It is time for the electorates to begin to enjoy the dividends of democracy. In Nigeria, the opposite is usually the case. It is now rather time the electorates are treated to isolation, deliberate marginalization, pauperization, social segregation and worst of all shameful embarrassments. The last ‘dividend’ is our point of consideration in this discourse, as it relates to the political game currently playing out in the Edo State House of Assembly.

 Governor Godwin Obaseki is a core civil servant and not a politician by calling, at least not the Nigerian type. He may have crafted his own style of politicking or followed those who are more experienced politicians and with childlike observation vis-a vis the way the game is played. It is not out of place for him to sample the game theory of late politician Tony  Anenih, the celebrated and very subtle politician of Edo State.

Governor Godwin Obaseki is testing the waters formally in the role he is masterminding in the inauguration of the current Edo State House of Assembly. How far he can go with his scheming will be determined on which side he falls by the time the Chairman of his party, the All Progressives Congress Party, the radical and vibrant Adams Oshiomole would bare his fangs on the activities of the innocent-looking, but jacobic Obaseki.

On Monday., 17^th of June, 2019, the Edo state House of Assembly was inaugurated. This was preceded by the letter of proclamation sent to the Clerk of the House , Alhaji Audu Omogbai, by the Edo State Governor as required by the law.   The Clerk consequently ushered in members-elect into the chambers for the official legislative business to commence. The Speaker of the House of Assembly was quickly elected with only 9 members out of the 24 members present during the inauguration and the election into principal offices. Frank Okiye of Esan North-East constituency, was elected the new Speaker while Yekini Idiaye of Akoko-Edo Constituency 1 was elected the Deputy Speaker.

It was reliably gathered that the 9 legislators who attended the ceremony were those loyal to the Governor. The process of the inauguration and election was as clandestine as it was funny. The new speaker was said to be only on his shorts in the hallowed Chambers for the events, showing he was not prepared for the rapture-like elections. He is a “short-kneeker Speaker” of the Edo State House of Assembly.

The questions begging for answers are: why is this kind of garrison approach to electing key officers into hallowed chambers of the legislature in a democratic society? What happened to the other 15 lawmakers sidelined? What is Governor Obaseki set to achieve by dividing a legislature that is exclusively an APC House? Why the haste typical of political brigandage of the highest order in conducting nocturnal election in a coven? Governor Obaseki has something very strange up his sleeves, no doubt.

This game is a similar version of what played out in the 2015 election of Nigeria Governors Forum where the former President Goodluck Jonathan was very comfortable with the victory of Jonah Jang , the then Governor of Plateau State who scored 16 votes against Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers  State who polled 19 votes in same election. Amazingly, both the Governors were from the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). When 16 was favourably greater than 19 in PDP’s  arithmetic, and very suitable to President Jonathan because of his personal interest on the matter as represented by Jonah Jang, little did they know that the consequence of their action was their loss of the presidency to the then opposition party, the All Progressives Congress. Five of the Governors defected from the ruling PDP to the APC prior to the 2015 general elections. This was the huge rock that broke PDP’s back in 2015 elections. They lost the elections

In the case of Edo State, Governor Obaseki has been openly fraternizing with PDP H

heavyweights in Edo Sate, amongst whom is the celebrated Igbinedion. The moves Governor Obaseki is making so far is clear enough that he is preparing his way for defection to the PDP because his relevance in APC is dwindling fast like the impatient harmattan fire. His days in APC are numbered as Adams Oshiomole, the APC Chairman, might burst his testes any moment from now with unequalled vendetta and a turbulent blow.

If Governor Godwin Obaseki is not checked right now, his romance with the opposition party sets his relationship with the APC like the friendship between the he-goat and the cocoyam. While the he-goat was pretending to be friends with the cocoyam, it was at the same time scheming how the cocoyam will graciously end in his stomach one day. Obaseki will swallow APC and convert all stalwarts of the party to the PDP to win his second term easily. If the APC is not fast enough, it would become a weak opposition very soon, struggling for survival from no other place but from the belly of the very clever Godwin Obaseki.

A KINGDOM WHERE WILD ANIMALS HAVE BANK ACCOUNTS by SHABA Mafu.

The animal Kingdom has been birthed among the citizens in Nigeria. It is a new kingdom where strange things happen.  A novel idea of those neck-deep in corruption has been crafted, such that best exists in fairy tales. The mysterious attachment to this new-found trade is chilling. In George Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM which was first published as far back as 17^th August, 1945, the main characters of that book were never figured as interacting with money, not much even as having Bank Accounts. Napoleon and Snowball, and the ever-compliant hardworking Boxer, with Moses were not as inventive as the Nigerian animals of the present time. The Russian animals did not have poisoned brains like those Nigerian animals which swallow money with great ease of taste.

The creation of this novel Kingdom was first witnessed in the present government of President Buhari when men must devise every means to cheat on the society to survive.  In Benue State, the sum of N36Million was said to have been swallowed by a snake. The money was the proceeds from the sales of the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) scratch cards. Following the innovation brought by the Head of that Body, Professor Is-haq Olarewaju Oloyede, stopping the regime of the use of scratch cards, directed the reconciliation of Account of JAMB in the previous sales of the cards. But In Makurdi, Benue State of Nigeria, some employees of JAMB reportedly connived with a snake to defraud the parastatal of the hitherto said sum. In an enquiry into the whereabouts of this huge sum of money, a JAMB clerk named Philomina Chieshe could not account for it. In her watery defence when questioned, the said Chieshe accused her housemaid of connivance with another JAMB staff, a colleague of hers, Joan Asen of stealing the money through spiritual means. It was a mammoth mysterious snake employed to swallow the money. The Snake must have been told the location of the office where the money was kept and patiently swallowed the dry papers (currency) to the tune of N36Million. and conveniently glided away to base, like the ancient serpent that occasioned Eve’s fall.

When the snake came to the office, it did not swallow the conspicuous Attendance Register. The office files were left untouched but in its ancient spiritual wisdom it easily identified the naira notes and carefully swallowed the neatly arranged piles of notes in a way they could be vomited for use when prompted.

In a similar angle, few months after the Snake episode in Benue State, it appeared the news of the N36Million spread among the Animal Kingdom like harmattan fire. This time it was the turn of the gorillas, the same family with the monkeys and the chimpanzees. But in strict comparism, it appeared the snake with its natural subtlety was defter in stealing higher volumes of notes than the amateurish gorilla. In Kano State of Nigeria, a gorilla was alleged to have swallowed N6.8Million. This time around, the animal stole this money in his ‘natural’ habitat, the zoo. So, it was easier since it must be a familiar terrain. The Kano Zoological Gardens lost this money to the gorilla during the recent Sallah break. The gorilla positioned himself strategically to ensure that the gate fees paid by the tourists to the zoo were quickly swallowed before the humans would restrict him, after all, he can’t be in the zoo and would not display some traits of the animals he is cohabiting with, particularly in the lifestyle of grand corruption.

The gorilla swallowed N6.8Million, while the snake swallowed N36Million. So these animals in the new.ly established Animal Kingdom have swallowed a cumulative sum of N42.8Million within a year. I hope very soon, animals will not take over as Directors of these government parastatals while the humans become the subordinates – the reign of penetrative and overwhelming corruption!

I personally urge the government of Kano State to thoroughly investigate the case of the theft in the zoo by the gorilla and get the identity of this gorilla. The gorilla must have been on the payroll of the State government with the common Identity card of the Staff of the Kano Zoological Gardens. The gorilla must have an accommodation in the zoo of the corrupt and needs to be fished out. This animal has several huge Bank Accounts that normal humans  may not boast of. They must all be traced by his Bank Verification Number. Much money must have been swallowed by this gorilla and its offspring in the office, besides the one discovered.

As for the N36Million swallowed by the Snake, JAMB should get the snake arrested and a surgical operation performed on it by the glittering surgical knife of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It should be taught an eternal lesson that snakes have no business with humans, not to talk more of swallowing money kept in the offices of government establishments. When has snakes begun spending money in the Animal kingdom? Since the clerk, Chieshe and Joan Asen are identifiable by their names, the snake (their accomplice) can be identifiable as well.. The trio should be subjected to unhindered investigation. Let the Bank Account of the Snake be thoroughly scrutinized, while the stolen funds be permanently forfeited and returned to JAMB. The accomplices of the snake, as well as the snake itself, must face prosecution. I am very convinced that Chiese should know where the snake lives. They must have had several meals together as a syndicate.

If this dirty and shameful trend is not nipped in the bud by a decisive action of the government, in no time mysterious rabbits, squirrels, antelopes, frogs, hawks, even earthworms will soon invade federal establishments swallowing millions of Naira. What is currently in Nigeria could have been best told in fairy tales; and when they are being told, inquisitive children would even ask with all mustered curiosity of how animals could cheaply swallow dry papers in volumes of millions. Unfortunately, this is not a fairy tale. It is the reality in Nigeria. What a shame to a people who have no dint of conscience remaining in them in the discharge of national duty!

JUNE 12 MEMORIAL: THE BUILDING OF A POLITICAL ALTAR IN NIGERIA by SHABA Mafu.

The 1993 Election Monitoring Body, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) headed by Professor Humphrey Nwosu had registered many political parties in his wisdom to let loose the democratic space for the ever bubbling Nigerian populace who were very active in politics and politicking to freely decide their political future. But the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida who has primed and prided himself as the ‘Evil Genius’ had another agenda in mind. He collapsed the political parties into two by fiat. The two parties were obviously divided, and intended along ethnic lines or regional lines, but his scheming failed in that wise. The two parties were the Social Democratic Party with Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, popularly known as MKO, as the presidential candidate, while Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was his running mate. The other party, the National Republican convention (NRC), ordinarily viewed as having a northern connotation had the hitherto unknown and politically-amateur Alhaji  Bashir Tofa as its presidential candidate.

The campaigns went on with all zeal and zest. The enthusiasm to boot out the military rule was ubiquitous in the minds of most Nigerians at the time. Chief MKO Abiola – a muslim from the South West Nigeria, a philanthropist, was the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party. Ambassador Kingibe was also a muslim from the Northern extraction. It was a muslim-muslim ticket for the SDP. Nobody whipped up religious or ethnic sentiments in the 1993 general elections because of the common desire to end the military misrule in Nigeria. The electorates voted massively, enthusiastically and unreservedly. The election was adjudged the best election ever conducted in Nigeria. The election took place on June 12, 1993. Abiola polled 8,341,309 votes (58.36%), while Tofa polled 5, 952,087 (41.64%) - that was the result that was never officially declared by NEC.

As Nigerians waited eagerly for the results to roll out drums for the celebrations, the enemy of democracy, like the Biblical Haman concocted some evil plot to ensure that the joy of Nigerians was broken. One Arthur Nzeribe formed a group called the Association  for Better Nigeria (ABN) and went to Court to obtain an injunction restraining  the NEC from continuing the announcements of the election results. In collaboration with the political murderer, General Babangida, in his greatest display of hypocrisy complied with the Court injunction as ordered by late Justice Bassey Ikpeme. Babangida unilaterally stopped further announcements of results by NEC, and annulled the entire elections on the 23^rd of June, 1993. This evil act sparked spontaneous and unilateral protests all over the country, until the government began to import ethnic colourations to the entire phenomenon. To perpetrate the struggle, some eminent Nigerians formed a political pressure group. This was basically to actualize the June 12 election and to swear-in the winner, Chief MKO Abiola as the elected President of Nigeria. The pressure group was known as the National Democratic Coaltion (NADECO). The frontiers of that group was late Chief Anthony Enahoro, late Abraham Adesanya, late Chief Bola Ige, Ayo Adebanjo, Ayo Opadokun, Admiral Babatunde Elegbede, Polycap Nwite, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Odigie Oyegun, Chief Olu Falae, Toyin Onagoruwa, Kudirat Abiola, among other great Nigerians.

General Babangida did all within his powers to puncture the intents of NADECO by bringing in Chief Ernest Shonekan, a man from the same ethnic extraction of Abiola. He came to power as the leader of an interim government from 26^th August 1993 to November 17, 1993. General Sani Abacha (late ) overthrew the government of Shonekan on November 17, 1998. The looter and political scoundrel in the person of Abacha consolidated the annulment of the June 12 elections, by hurling Chief MKO Abiola into prison and making sure he drove most of the NADECO members into exile.. Abacha eventually died on the 8^th of June, 1998, while Abiola followed him closely on the 7^th July 1998.

General Abdulsalam Abubakar came up, and in collaboration with other politically exposed people brought General Olushegun Obasanjo (retd) who was hitherto hurled into prison by Abacha, for alleged treasonable offence, in 1995 to contest in the 1999 general elections. Obasanjo contested the presidential elections under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and won. From General Obasanjo through Alhaji Yar Adua (of blessed memory) to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the PDP enjoyed sixteen unbroken years of rulership of Nigeria. Unfortunately, none of these presidents who rode on Abiola’s back to become what they were, was ever comfortable when Abiola’s name was mentioned. They all stuck to May 29^th, a day that has no historical value and significance in Nigeria’s political history.  They all refused to acknowledge June 12 as the authentic Democracy Day. A day democracy was buried alive in Nigeria by General Babangida.

But like the thunderbolt from the blues, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, a man from the Northern extraction, first apologized to the family of late Chief MKO Abiola for the injustice done to the late man and his family by the State. The apology was extended to Nigerians who voted overwhelmingly but had their hopes dashed. General Babangida who annulled the elections is still alive and never showed any remorse till eternity. General Obasanjo, the primary beneficiary of the struggles of Chief MKO still hated Abiola’s struggles till now. President Buhari did not stop at apologizing for the crime he did not commit, he went further to declare JUNE 12 every year as the DEMOCRACY DAY in Nigeria. This is a very correct move and must be applauded by all. This is practically bridge-building, manifest national-healing, and political sagacity from a man unprovokedly  hated by some Nigerians.. President Buhari took a further step to rename the Abuja national Stadium after Abiola. It is to be known and called as MKO ABIOLA STADIUM, from henceforth. Die-hard critics of Buhari like Reno Omokri, a very fine gentleman, and Femi-Fani Kayode, a young brilliant writer hailed this singular move by President Buhari.

I am not surprised to see people like the self-righteous Chief Obasanjo and the Atiku taking ill by this great move of President Buhari.

The declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day with particular recognition of Chief MKO Abiola is like erecting a political altar of eternal memorial in the politics of Nigeria. The recognition of June 12 is not only for late Chief MKO, but an implied recognition of all lovers and fighters for democracy especially in the dark days of Generals Babangida and late General Sani Abacha. People like the erudite Professor Wole Soyika, all NADECO members (dead, and living) are all by this singular action of the APC government and Buhari, honoured to the Heavens.

Never again should Nigerians allow such political profligacy, impunity and greed as exercised by Babangida, Arthur Nzeribe, Sani Abacha and all traducers to repeat itself in the political experiment of Nigeria. Nigeria is greater than any individual, and must so be upheld.

I stand unequivocally with President Buhari and the APC government in recognizing the June 12. I also stand with those who were massacred by the Armoured Tanks of IBB as a result of their protests and struggles for the actualization of the June 12, 1993 elections. Their deaths are not in vain. To me, on June 12 we stand as the federal government is poised to scrap May 29^th as a public holiday and replaces it with June 12 which shall be observed as a public holiday henceforth.