Lest we forget, we are in a country called Nigeria. So one should be careful of what he/she may critically say about this administration that plans to land in jail whosoever shall criticise its style and conducts. We have been aware of the illegal arrests of some patriotic Nigerians who took to Facebook to “vilify” this administration – as they put it. One example is that of Tonye from Bayelsa State (President’s state of birth). He was unduly arrested for merely criticising Governor Dickson. This is frightening! One must remain discreet, at least, if s/he doesn’t want to stay in jail. Lest we forget, truth is bitter.
Lest we forget, it was in this administration that the insurgency of Boko Haram escalated to the level of uncontrollability. The Federal Government is not ready to tackle the insurgency, neither is it ready to negotiate and resolve with the Islamic Fighters. Back in 2012 the group agreed to lay down arms if there was a honest approach and negotiation; they agreed to leave us alone. But sadly, the President ordered the arrest of their delegation, I don’t sympathize with the extremists, but what I am hinting is that the President should have used that golden, lifetime opportunity to have peace and let us have peace; it would have been a history by now. All in all, this administration has “groomed” one of the deadliest organisations in Africa and indeed the world; the JASLIWAJ. The threats posed by this group are very perilous. Lest we forget, its main target is to depose Jonathan and impose Sharia law in Nigeria. That’s what we called “asking for the moon”.
Lest we forget, our country was named “the worst country to be born in 2013.” Why was that? It is because of the nation’s failure on protecting human rights; its incompetence; its careless approach in tackling graft and corruption; its recklessness in prosecuting corrupt officials and many more. The most disturbing according to me, of all these is the jettisoning of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s letter which “raised an alarm over non-remittance to the Federation Account of $49.8bn being part of the proceeds of crude exported by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), between January 2012 to July 2013” even though the finance ministry quickly retorted that it was “only about $10.8bn had not been accounted for” and not what the CBN governor had claimed in his bomb-letter. For convenience, let’s assume that Sanusi was wrong, and that the finance ministry (the Federal Government’s proxy) was “right”. The questions to ask are thus: who engulfed the $10.8bn (as they put it?) and, what have the FG – with its EFCC and ICPC – done about it? The answers are simple; simpler than blinking an eye. For the first question, the answers might be based on probability: they probably knew those behind the cumbersome theft but they let them get away, with impunity. They may probably, as well, not know the looters and they didn’t bother to investigate. The latter is more deadly and unpatriotic. As a democratic state, Nigeria should not be afraid to fish out whomsoever is involved in the embezzlement of public funds. Lest we forget, President Jonathan has not yet spoken about this said letter or its content, save for a reference in his own letter to former president Obasanjo. What a President!
Lest we forget, it was in the year 2013 that ASUU embarked on its 6-month old strike, that has silently, brutally crippled the education sector. The reasons for ASUU strike is that they had an agreement with the Federal Government, some years back, and they wanted that agreement implemented. That was it. That was why they (the lecturers) refused to teach even after “no work, no salary” action. They took that risk. Serious. The villain in the piece, we don’t know. The President having no way out, decided to use strong-arm tactics to horrify the adamant Union. The Federal Government, through the minister of education, then gave ASUU one-week ultimatum to resume or face sack. The Federal Government was so clever that when they realised that ASUU was not ready to call-off the strike, they extended the deadline to December 9 in pretext to let them bury Professor Festus Iyayi, in peace. Eventually, ASUU remained adamant and shunned the Federal Government’s useless threat. They didn’t resume and were not sacked. It was later announced that they were “pardoned”. What a threat! What a government! What a country!
El-Amin Yusuf Alronawy™.
Www.elaminalronawy.blogspot.com.
Www.twitter.com/ElAminAlronawy.
