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Fani-Kayode:
Need to
purge Presidency of illusions
Federal
Government�s response to Professor Chinua Achebe�s rejection of the
National honour from President Olusegun Obasanjo made interesting reading.
Evidently, Achebe was expressly as hurt by the privations Nigerians in
their millions have been suffering over time, even after the military had
relinquished political control way back in May, 1999. �For some time now,
I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay,� he said in an
open letter to the President recently, emphasising �Nigeria�s condition
today under your watch is, however, too dangerous for silence.� He threw
more light on his pains in an interview with the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC), on October 18. He said: �Nigeria does not work,�
pointing to the collapse of infrastructure, notably, roads, power supply,
water, as well as the decay in social services, especially the health
sector.
The Presidential Adviser on
Public Affairs, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, thereafter came up with what he
claimed was agreed upon between him and President Obasanjo. His statement,
in reference to the rejection notice read in part: �It is not a slap in
the face of the Nigerian Government or Mr President, but rather, it is a
slap in the face of the Nigerian people.� Continuing, it invited Achebe to
�come home and join hands with all Nigerians in making the country
great.�
I was left wandering how the
people of Nigeria, who were short-changed in the last general elections
that were massively rigged by President Obasanjo �s Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), and who have been totally excluded from the process of
governance , could be said to be on the same side as the usurpers in
Abuja. With inflation at over 35 per cent (forget Government�s fabrication
of 19.5 per cent), and further fuelled by Government�s arbitrary jerk in
the prices of petroleum products, how could the the vastly impoverished
masses identify with Obasanjo�s regime. Abia State Governor Orji Kalu and
immediate past Governor Adefarati of Ondo State have described Obasanjo as
more evil than the late Sani Abacha, on account of his insensitivity to
the mass suffering. The comparisons captured the feelings of the people.
In fact on Galaxy Television,
Democracy and the Rule of Law Programme, on October 17, most panellists
expressed fears that the President needed psychiatric attention. That is
the widespread perception.
So, how can Fani-Kayode
portray Achebe as spiteful of Nigeria and its people, when he refused to
consort with Mr President. Achebe spoke the minds of Nigerians, which is
why his rejection of the award has been hailed far and near. In fact, a
contributor to the opinion page of The Guardian (October 19, 2004) said in
part: �The country is sinking with Obasanjo at the helms. Things have
fallen apart and lips not parted in alarm and disgust are unclean
lips.�
Fani-Kayode and the other idle
hands surrounding Obasanjo should realise that Achebe�s perception of the
present regime in Nigeria is bound to affect the views of a large section
of the international community. It definitely will never be the same for
Obasanjo again around the world. Everyone has seen how hollow he and his
advertised programmes are. Inviting him to come and join Obasanjo, Atiku
Abubakar, Tony Anenih, Chris Uba, Adolphus Wabara, Ibrahim Mantu and the
like to make �the country great� is indeed silly.
Davidson
Wabai,
Victoria Island, Lagos
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