Chi Buo Anu-Ozo The above sentence, if loosely translated, would mean, Every new day, we hear a different story. It simply describes, and depicts our Nigerian situation. A situation whereby, each new every morning, one wakes up from slumber, and reads a different, but the same, mind numbing stories. Perhaps, it would be better for one to entirely stop setting ones eyes on anything news from Nigeria. But what would one do about facebook updates from friends and folks who always update these stories? Or should one just annul ones facebook account, and get a good rest of ones mind from all this debilitating Nigerian news? As has been a kind of routine, I woke up todays morning, after conducting a morning worship session with my wife and two sons, and taking a modest breakfast of a portion of some fried eggs, three slices of jammed toasted bread, that were all transported down the stomach for onward movement to the intestines by a warm red kalina solution. Yes, kalina! This is a reddish concoction that has great medicinal properties, used in Eastern Europe for a battle against sore-throat, cough, as caused by cold. And it must be noted that here in The Ukraine, this morning, the thermometers hanging outside by the windows reads -18 degrees centigrade. Evidently, its really freezingly cold out here! Well, about my routine, usually, as Im sick, Id immediately bounced back right on my bed and veil my humble frame under the blanket, but because it is becoming a bad habit on my part, (and I must do something about this trend), switched my PC to life to have a glimpse of the latest updates on facebook by friends and others alike, and also have a quick glance on some Nigerian online dailies and blogs. Afterall, no matter sey man dey abroad, man no forget sey im be Omo Naija gon-gon! In whatever, one must keep himself abreast with happenings at home. So it happened that, upon coming alive online to my FB wall, the first update that stared me in the face was APC asked its members in the National Assembly not to vote in favor of the 2014 budget, etc, etc until constitutionalism is restored in Rivers State. The next update down the scroll announced how El Rufai - a former minister of the federation - ignored an invitation by Nigerias state security service (SSS), for allegedly making inflammatory statements, and is now being hunted down for a forceful arrest. It must be taken into cognizance here that El Rufai is an APC chieftain. I read these two information from sources I would not have, had the story been otherwise involved subjects of other party. In this article, it must be taken into consideration, that my stand on this issues arent political or partisan. I am a supporter of no political body or personality, but am a Nigerian with rational thinking. Recalling that in the two scandals that involved the current aviation minister, Ms. Stella Oduah, I came across them, not from shuffling through the pages of Nigerian newspapers, or any abroad at all, but through the facebook walls of some activists and social advocates in Nigeria. Yes, they were the ones, in greasing the hands of Sahara Reporters and The Punch newspaper, who echoed the sounds of how corrupt Ms. Oduah was/is, and how bad a thing it was that she forged a certificate. They were, in practical terms, burned in their angst against the poor woman. They were asking for her head; they were demanding her immediate demise. But how some Nigerians are seemingly shameless, is becoming something most shameful. Id expected to read about this absurdity of a people, and a party, asking that a national budget, meant to cater for the needs of the country and her over one hundred and sixty million souls, be compromised by their cronies in the national assembly in order that their crony in Rivers State be favored, from the walls of these prevalent voices for change. But no! They never updated such. Nor did the update El Rufais excesses. They cant condemn such in strong terms. But in recent past, they were making a pedestrian comparison of pictures of elected House of Assembly men in Imo State, who were caught made to kneel down before the emperor governor while the houses speaker looks on in adoration, with a picture where a federal government appointee was squatting beside the president and both were evidently studying a document. What is disheartening with these people is, creating the notion that their actions and works are non-partisan. Is it really? Then how do we reconcile this facts? That when governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is refusing to swear in a judge, you keep mute and dont cry foul, but will shout your voices out on a Jonathan who refuses to be dragged into a chauvinistic battle against Oduah? Or, that El Rufai who ignores the laws of the land isnt rebuked by you, but you will most readily brand the personnel of the SSS as abusive of their powers because they applied the use of force to arrest an arrogant personality. When you willingly align the careless utterances of Alhaji Dokubo Asari with Goodluck Jonathan because the two are people from the same locality, but played down the damaging pronouncements of El Rufai, yet would not dare relate him with Buhari, in whose market are you trading? Is that non-partisan? Nigerians, my people, be mindful of those who rise up by the days, and raise their heads to the high heavens, proclaiming themselves as social critics, human rights advocates and whatever titles they chose to be identified with. Be careful of those who will thunder all day long about change. Not every change singer is a change agent. Some change singers and dancers are but town-criers who want a turn of the table that will provide space for them. A balanced critic will always report matters affecting both sides in a balanced and positive way, where the onlookers will apparently notice how unbiased but balanced the critic is. A change advocate who reports one aspect of a national event with all venom because it involves a party not in his/her good books, but maintains a soft touch on critically scandalous matters involving the opposition, is but a suspicious agent of change. He or she, shouldnt be trusted because they are not reliable. They are deceivers; in fact, they are confusionists! There are no spaces for strict change in the minds of these jobbers, but theres only an ambition. Yes, an ambitious change that will offer them greater self contentment. BEA. 2014/01/25.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 14:09:06 +0000
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