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“Yar’adua was not my idea of a president for Nigeria, but my dear, Yar’adua was 10 million times better than this character we now have as president. At least we know Yar’adua was an invalid, with his blind ambition and that of his wife, which caused [SIC] them his life…This is a disgraceful regime, a disgraceful presidency, a disgraceful government brought about by a disgraceful party. May God shorten their stay and may God shorten the agony of the people of Nigeria”- Dr. Junaid Mohammed
Nigeria’s plight under its ruling elite has the capacity to frustrate the most incurably optimistic patriot. Nigeria possesses tremendous potentials for change and development, and great possibilities for our peoples to actualize their potentials. Riches are enormous, in terms of natural endowment as well as the incredible vibrancy of our people. Not surprisingly, Nigerians excel in practically every field of human endevour. But we have remained a country of latent potentials, never attained; but frighteningly perched on the edge of the precipice of failure. This land of incredible riches is also one of the poorest and most unequal nations on earth.
Life expectant is a scandal; the UN says 71 million live in slums; 34 million defecate in the open; hospitals do not work; the schools are a joke where children make a national habit of regularly failing examinations thus precluding possibilities of a meaningful future. Meanwhile, its rulers are glorified bandits; and this is not a flight of exaggeration. Anti-graft bodies regularly make a show of arraigning these rulers for thefts of mind-boggling sums; after the drama of arraignments, plea-bargains are entered, and these bandits get a gentle massage on the wrist, some of the loot is surrendered; the bandits are allowed home as heroes of kleptocracy: go home; enjoy the loot; you are consecrated as Masters of the Order of Banditry (MOB)!
The leadership recruitment system enthrones mediocrity, settling for the lowest common denominator; it is carefully rigged to ensure that patriots committed to the best interest of Nigeria don’t usually get a look in. This is the context which threw up “this character we now have as president”, in the words of Dr. Junaid Mohammed; and it is anger at the way our country is being wasted under this ridiculous arrangement which produced the patriotic indignation Dr Junaid expressed in his interview, in Saturday SUN of October 8, 2011.
Not given to calling a spade by any other name, Dr. Mohammed examined several aspects of the contradictions of contemporary Nigerian existence. From the place of the North in contemporary politics; how Jonathan recruited people into sensitive positions in government; Jonathan’s own qualifications for leadership; the Boko Haram controversy; Nigeria and the classical revolutionary situation; the agenda to achieve a 7year tenure through to how Jonathan scampered under Aso Rock to “celebrate” Nigeria’s 51st Independence Anniversary. Frank and forthright, Dr. Junaid Mohammed took no prisoners.
On Northerners in politics, he argued that “Northerners played fair and at the end of the day they were badly rewarded”. Using Obasanjo as an example, he said “our generals brought him in: Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, TY Danjuma, Aliyu Gusau and Abdulsalami Abubakar…. He couldn’t have won any form of election….I think the four of them owe this nation an apology for the way they brought out Obasanjo from prison and gave him a comprehensive pardon….Here is the result”. On rumoured plans to return Gusau as NSA, Dr. Junaid thinks it is “recycling of garbage”. Not that those handling our security now have much that recommends them though.
“This is not to say that the current National Security Adviser is doing any better. If anything, the man is a national disgrace and an international laughing stock”. He is NSA “only because he is an Ijaw man…the same tribe with the president…not because he was competent…” He was not done: “the current DG of the SSS…was appointed after nine of his seniors were eased out to make room for him. His qualification: he comes from the Niger Delta….The IG of the police…they had to retire six DIGs above him, one of whom comes from the same town with him….Some of the other AIGs…at least nearly 20 people….Now are you surprised that the police are in a terrible mess? That is the real issue; the competent people have been eased out….
The Chief of Army Staff was appointed when we have over 30 generals ahead of him. His qualification is that he is married to the first cousin of the first lady….Don’t get me wrong….The previous one, Danbazau, was appointed over and above a more qualified person, also a fellow northerner who is his senior”. Doctor Junaid went on to use the Leninist paradigm of a classical revolutionary situation to describe what operates in Nigeria today, arguing forcefully that “this government is incompetent. They are in no position to run this country….not only are they incompetent, and cannot govern; they don’t want to give way to others to come. This is a classical revolutionary situation”. We are in for the long haul indeed!
