Buhari, Bakare and CPC Hoodlums

In the course of discussion, a day after I published my online article, “Who will tame Buhari and his Northern Talibans” I was reprimanded by my colleagues who are from the northern parts. A senior colleague who is neither from the core north nor core south, but in between the north and south, that I highly respected was also furious─ his reason ─ I guess religious. They all see nothing wrong in violence. They are all in support of the president of a country like Nigeria to be stoned by rabbles, vagabonds, undesirable elements, street urchins and “never do well’. They celebrated; jubilated, clinked glasses over the way and manner non-‘hijab’ and non-veiled women were harassed, assaulted, embarrassed and molested during Mr. Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign visit to Gombe, as well as assault on the president. When I pronounced that North is backward, in one voice they shouted and told me to return to the South. They have seen Northern part of this country as their boundary, even though Buhari, for the past ten years has been struggling to become the national president and not sectional one. What has been bordering me is why snorers always find it difficult to know they are snoring.

I was reliably informed that Mr. Muhammadu Buhari has apologized to the state over the activities of his hoodlums. The truth of the matter is that if the entire Gombe State forgets the incident of that day, there is only one person that will keep remembering. The memories will stick to this person─ a lady was naked in broad daylight, ushered to walk naked and finally lifted high in the air by hoodlums who were paying loyalties to Mr. Muhammadu Buhari and his CPC. What a shameful events! What a barbaric acts! What an ugly incident! This is 21st century for goodness sake. Could Buhari and his cohort accept this for any of their daughters? Could any of this people treat their relations like this?

Could such act happen behind Late Aminu Kano (of blessed memory)? Then where is justice in Buhari’s CPC?

Anyone who opportune to read this, should tell Buhari, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Yinka Odumakin and others that they are treading on wrong soil. Could any of them pray for such─ that a female member of their family should walk naked for the entire town to glance? This is the high time they address the matter. The lady should be invited. She should be apologized to. Then people would see them as dependable

Who will tame Buhari and his Northerner Talibans?

Ayoola Akinkunmi Olamide

Friday 11th March, 2011

If truly the popular saying that the way we do on earth, the same they practice in heaven, there is no doubt about it, that I may create a scene and disturb the orderliness of heaven if per chance I stumble on  Lord Fredrick Lugard. I will demand answers to series of questions. I will inquire him what his intention was when he amalgamated the Northern and Southern protectorates. I will require why he forcefully married the Northerners with the Southerners in ‘unholy’ union. Joke apart, Lugard had made a silly mistake. I will force him to tell me why he placed innovative tribes along with the tribe that remains static ever since that 1914. Like Biblical Jacob, I will leave him not until he responds to my questions.

More than twenty times, I have told my colleagues, and the general public that Buhari’s government in Nigeria will never makes a difference. Buhari that I know is always biased both religious-wise and tribal-wise, his leopard’s coat could not be changed.

I could recall vividly when he came in to sack the Third republic, December, 31^st 1983, the first thing he did was to rule out devotions in school across the country, mission schools inclusive, his own device to checkmate Christian faith. That shows his intolerance to other people’s religious beliefs. The same applicable in 2001, when Alhaji Lam Adesina was directing the affairs of Oyo State, the same Buhari saw nothing wrong in Fulani cattle rearers killing members of their host communities. Alhaji Lam Adesina told him that he never expected anything good from him. Buhari cherishes the lives of cattle to that of human beings. His response that time confused me. I was asking myself probably Muhammad Buhari is a direct descendant of a cow, after all, Darwin was of the view that human were once apes. Someone, who sacked democratic elected government, and hereafter, struggles to be elected democratically, what a creature without conscience. His campaign logic still remains Muslims should not vote for Christian aspirants and Northerners should not support Southerner’s candidacy. Today, his utterances had become a decree. Series of text messages against Northerners who are dancing to the tune of the South had been circulating all around. At no time is Buhari frowns at these- he is contented with these messages- still he aspires to lead a diverse nation like Nigeria. A country, where over two hundred and fifty ethnic groups are speaking over four hundred languages. Then who will tame the chief Taliban and his cohorts?

 On Wednesday, 9th March, 2011, when Buhari visited Gombe township, peace that the town is well known for departed. Other parties’ secretariats were attacked and road-users were treated alike. Any female passers-by without a ‘hijab’ were molested and assaulted. If by chance (May God forbid), Buhari comes in to rule this country, who will tame the Taliban? I guess that was what that Very Reverend of the Methodist Mission was insinuating that made him to say to say to Buhari’s face that “We Christians are afraid of you”.

Today 10th March, it is as if Buhari’s Taliban are not satisfy with the happening day before, during President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign visit, he was stoned by hoodlums believe to be loyal to Taliban Muhammad Buhari. Here are the same groups of people who preach respect for constituted authority. It is very shameful. They are disgrace to Islamic faith, disgrace to civil North, disgrace to this country, and disgrace to the civil society at large.

The same President Goodluck was at Lagos, Action Congress of Nigeria’ den days ago. Lagosians neither stoned nor molest him. That shows level of civility, understanding and tolerance on the part of Lagosians and people of South-west, as well as level of backwardness, incivility, intolerance, barbarism, and animalistic tendency on that of average northerners. Going back to history, the entire north has produced large number of political leaders more than the South. They have more army general that had tasted power more than the South— still the region is synonymous to poverty cum backwardness. How many times have they stoned those who contributed to their present conditions —non I guess. All the beggars in the entire southern parts are northerners; beggars in the northern parts are northerners. All difficult tasks in the entire Southern regions are always reserve for the ‘Mallam’ (as southerners call Northerners). Those who pauperized them were not attacked, but an innocence president who visits their region. Then who is to be blame, if not Lugard. What can we do now? Who will come to our aide? Like a Yoruba adage, a sudden raining had fallen; pigeon had been packed together with fowls. My headache and concern now is who is going to tame Buhari and his Northern Talibans.

HOPELESS OF THE HOPELESS HOPE

HOPELESS OF THE HOPELESS HOPE

(Iwarefa) Ayoola Akinkunmi Olamide

mide_ayoola2002@yahoo.com

More than five decades have passed, if I never made a mistake. Exactly five, since we became independent, but our government is still sick. Our leaders are sick. Our country is sick. Everyone is sick. The government and the governed. Both young and the old. The poor and the rich. The poor are sick, hence they become poorer. The rich are sick hence they become richer. As a result, the rulership and the followerships are blaming one another.

          But, the sickness of our leaders is the most pathetic because they have added madness to their own sickness. So, they also blame one another. President Goodluck Jonathan is blaming Abubakar Atiku, a Political prostitute. National Assembly is faulting the Presidency. Ex- Governor Ladoja is blaming Prodigal Alao Akala. Action Congress says People Democratic Party lacks focus. Civilians criticize military and vice-versa.

          Yet, amidst this madness and sickness, our leaders have also been playing game. In that game, we are the balls. And the rule of the game favours he who can crunch us, the balls harder. One leader comes and crunches us, the balls harder than the others. One leader comes and crunches us. The other comes and crunches harder. That is for us but the common men, our problems are enormous. Poverty, Oppression, Suppression, Distress, Injustice, Penury, Joblessness. Nothing has changed for us. Rather the gravity of our sufferings increases enormously every hour of the day. We have been complaining but our leaders have been crunching us. The more we groan under the heavy boots of our leaders, the harder they crunch us. The more we shed tears, the more joyous our leaders become. Our leaders have been laughing while we are crying. They have been sharing various allowances and loans. David Mark has been presiding over packages for looters. They called it “National cake” even though; their great-grand fathers did not contribute neither “flour” nor “icing sugar” when the cakes were to be baked. Common men have stopped to dream dreams. Their futures are hopeless. Their eye balls are gradually retracting into their sockets. Hope has also eluded their mind. To them salvation has become a wishful thinking and a morbid illusion. They now believe that to think or muse over it is to image Ken Saro Wiwa to rise from death tomorrow. They have therefore concurred that their hope for salvation is as hopeless as the hope for their hopeless hope.

          However, they have discovered with gratifying applause that they have won in one area. They have shown their leaders that they can only crunch them but their fate, they can not determine for them. Therefore, what their leaders can not accomplish for them. They have done for themselves – the common men in Nigeria have found solution to their numerous problems- the mass had triumphed. The solution is hopelessness. Absolute hopelessness. They have finally got it.

Questions, comments or substantiated information of relevance to this write-up are welcome.

(Iwarefa)Ayoola Akinkunmi Olamide writes from G.R.A. Gombe.