All Eyes On Tinubu

Some Federal Government officials appear to be afraid of their shadows. It looks more like the proverbial saying that when a fowl farts, the land pursues it. Last week, Nigerians witnessed another attempt at authoritarianism. Some group had put up billboards in Abuja and elsewhere with the inscription, “All eyes on the judiciary”. The powers that be became fretful and ordered that the billboards be pulled down. They also dissolved the secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) for approving the advert and suspended its Director and Deputy Director in charge of regulations.

As the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, put it, “The advertisement is considered a blackmail against the Nigerian judiciary, the presidential election petition tribunal and particularly the justices of the tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is currently jus pendis.” He added that the advertisement was controversial and capable of instigating unrest and breach of public peace.

Which unrest if one may ask? It looks like some people are having guilty conscience. To me, there is nothing offensive about the advert. It did not mention any particular individual, tribunal or political party. There is also nothing unusual about it. Before the general election, our eyes were on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Our eyes were also on the major political parties and their candidates.

During the campaign for the presidential election, for instance, many supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, expressed concern that he was not visible on billboards; that his major opponents had their billboards everywhere. Obi’s response was that he was a moving billboard himself. While others concentrated on billboards and posters, he moved round many parts of Nigeria, including some remote areas of the North where he was warned to avoid visiting because of the insurgency in that part of the country. This made him more popular among the masses.

Some other presidential candidates had their idiosyncrasies which made them the cynosure of all eyes. A particular presidential candidate had told his supporters that “power is not served a la carte. At all cost, fight for it, grab it, and run with it.” Now that the elections are over and results announced in the ungodly hours of March 1, 2023, all eyes will naturally be on the judiciary. So, why are some people fretting and fearful of unrest? Indeed, as Usman Dan Fodio said, “Conscience is an open wound; only the truth can heal it.”

What will even instigate unrest in the real sense of it is the assault on the freedom of expression as enshrined in Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). They may have pulled down billboards urging us to fix our eyes on the judiciary. But they can’t stop some diehard believers in our democracy from having the inscription, “All eyes on the judiciary” on their clothes. I have seen women who have the inscription on their bags as well. No billboard will be more effective than that.

Do you even blame Nigerians when they express fear about our judiciary? Recently, the Chairperson of the Kano State National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge, alleged that some lawyers were attempting to bribe judges in her team. Recall that Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa had said recently that he influenced his wife, Zainab, to help his colleagues when she was the President of the Court of Appeal. People know that our judiciary did not drop from the moon. The judges are susceptible to the influence of money and other considerations. That is why we have forum shopping in the profession. Besides, some recent judgements by our justices leave a sour taste in the mouth. Former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, for instance, did not contest for the senatorial election in his constituency in the 2023 election. He contested for the presidential primary election of his party and lost. Today, he is a senator courtesy of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

In any case, since they have barred us from keeping our eyes on the judiciary, we have to change tactics. Now, will there be any crime to keep our eyes on the executive, especially President Bola Tinubu? We must keep watch on their movements and actions. This time round, there should not be any nocturnal visits to judges. Nor should judges embark on any such crooked movement.

Nigerians must keep their eagle eyes on bullion vans; where they enter and the routes they follow. Let it not be like what happened on the eve of the 2019 presidential election when two bullion vans were spotted entering Tinubu’s premises on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi.

We must keep our eyes on the plans of this government. Just look at the recent appointment of new ministers. Already, there are insinuations that the ruling party is planning for any eventuality. You know that it is only the Labour Party presidential candidate that got 25 per cent of the votes in Abuja. So, if the tribunal calls for a rerun of the presidential election, for instance, it means the new minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, will be very useful in securing that 25 per cent for the ruling party in Abuja. The fear in many quarters now is that Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, may replicate the magic he performed in Rivers State that gave the All Progressives Congress (APC) questionable victory in the presidential election.

Let us also keep our eyes on the performance of this government. Its flip-flopping on major policies is becoming worrisome. The President announced the removal of fuel subsidy without any serious plans on palliatives. He enthused that it was not in his inaugural speech but that he just summoned courage and announced it. When Nigerians kicked against the action, he reeled out some ridiculous palliative measures. Some poor households, for instance, would be given N8, 000 cash each per month to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal. When people slammed the policy, he made a U-turn and suspended it.

Less than three months that this administration assumed office, the naira has suffered undue pummeling. A few days ago, the exchange rate climbed to over N900 per dollar. Inflation rose to an all-time high of 24.08 per cent as of July 2023. In June, it was 22.79 per cent. Nigerians have further been impoverished.

Amid all these, our government threatened to send Nigerian troops to Niger Republic to flush out the coup plotters that removed the civilian government of Mohamed Bazoum. Meanwhile, the current security situation in Nigeria calls for more urgent action. How can we spend our scarce resources on a military adventure into another country when we have continued to record casualties against our innocent citizens and soldiers? In Shiroro local government area of Niger State, soldiers ran into an ambush laid by terrorists recently. At the end of the firefight, at least, three officers and 22 soldiers got killed. Seven others were wounded. A Nigeria Air Force helicopter that went to evacuate the victims crashed, leading to more casualties. We are in deep trouble really! All eyes should be on the executive please!

Re: Akpabio’s uncommon tithe

Akpabio: the uncommon former governor of Akwa Ibom State remains an enigma in the art of acquisition and distribution of money. And money is the god of the earth! This uncommon man of style holds the original version of the expression that ”what money cannot do, more money can do, even much better.” Hate or love Akpabio, his days as governor of oil-rich Akwa Ibom State witnessed an all-time process and actualisation of an uncommon transformation of the state. Akpabio’s name remains indelible in the annals of Akwa Ibom State. Money answereth ‘all’ prayers: and this story of the wonders of money is aptly and beautifully told in James Hadley Chase’s classic – ‘What’s Better Than Money?’ In the game of liberality with money, Akpabio stands out and plays in the big league where he remains a permanent occupant. But his recent dramatization  of holiday gifts to his disciples of the senate in full glare of the hungry masses was quite hurtful: it was uncalled for.

-Edet Essien Esq. Cal South, 0810 809 5633

Dear Casy, tithing, from the biblical history is good, owing essentially, to the spirituality behind it. But when tithing migrates from the biblical corridor into political cauldron, it carries some tinge of ‘Greek gift’ and, therefore, loses its essence. Akpabio’s tithe is a Greek gift that is, presently, pregnant and shall be delivered of the ‘baby’ at the ‘right’ time and place. There is no smoke, they say, without fire.

-Steve Okoye, Awka, 08036630731.

Casmir, Akpabio’s uncommon/peculiar ways of tithing will ultimately see him get ‘tied’ up in future! He now derives pleasure from the predicaments of poor, struggling Nigerians in whose interest he should legislate upon to improve our welfare. As one of the begotten products of Tinubu’s ‘political calculations’, like can only beget like. Like Tinubu, like Akpabio! He wears Tinubu’s branded caps as a ‘token’ of appreciation and as a member of Tinubu’s political dynasty. Lord have mercy for his unwitting ways. At this moment, Nigerians don’t need a clown of a senate president who jokes on matters that are of serious concern to the masses! He has a penchant for trifling with the plights of Nigerians; remember the ‘let Nigerians breath episode too’. He should stop playing with our emotions. For Akpabio to have used the word ‘enjoy’ smacks of insensitivity to the sufferings of Nigerians! The sufferings are due to ill thought out policies of his benefactor-Tinubu. What he calls ‘token’ is what an average Nigerian has never earned in one swoop! Akpabio, enough is enough. Enough of comedy of errors. This was how Tinubu started during campaigns. Now we are all victims.

-Mike, Mushin, 0816 111 4572

Casmir, most public office holders are aware that the continuous relevance to their coveted positions must be always tithed for them to remain there. This tithe may be in form of contracts awarded to members without scrutiny, appointment to juicy positions etc. The aim is to buy favour from such in order to secure their own positions. Nigeria has over the years engrossed in such sore deed which defies all boundaries. The infestation of such leadership styles has denied the country good quality life as the budget is filtered in settlement of cronies to the detriment of the development of this great nation. I hope that with effective opposition and quality resistance from the press and masses such actions will be curtailed.

-Pharmacist Okwuchukwu Njike, +234 803 885 4922

Dear Casy, for the president of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, senators should be enjoying while the poor who are in the majority should make sacrifices and even keep on suffering. Nigerians rightly tagged the ninth Assembly led by Senator Ahmad Lawan as the worst rubber stamped Senate since 1999, we do hope that the 10th Assembly led by Senator Akpabio won’t beat that inglorious record judging by the way it screened President Tinubu’s ministerial nominees. Senator Akpabio performed relatively well as a governor but his current position may make or mar his future political career. The way he handles the current crisis in Niger Republic may determine if he will last longer in that hot seat or fall to the ever littering banana peels in the Senate Chambers. If he dances to the tune of President Tinubu, the northern senators may come after him. Conversely, if he panders to the bidding of the northern senators, President Tinubu may see him as being disloyal to his government. Whichever is the case, Akpabio seems to be trapped between the rock and a hard place.

-Ifeanyi, Owerri, +234 806 156 2735

Man, I am always impressed with your write-ups. Thanks.

-Tsammani John, Bauchi, 0901 378 2461

•Also published in the Daily Sun of Monday, August 21, 2023