Scholars For Justice THE CANDIDATE BUHARI CERTIFICATE BROUHAHA... POINTS TO PONDER Let me understand something: the following set of eminent people did WHAT exactly when they were screening the APC Presidential hopefuls with highfalutin fervent fanfare? 1. Chief Ogbonnaya Onu. 2. Senator Bukola Saraki. 3. Dr. Tunji Abayomi. 4. Amb. Baba Ahmed Jida. 5. Dr. Sam Sam Jaja. 6. Tom Matamaki Maiyashi. 7. Prof. Agbonlahor Denis and 8. Amb. Fatai Balla How could ALL those people overlook as basic, fundamental and simple a thing as requesting for EACH of their proposed candidates CREDENTIALS as part of their process? Was the Screening Committee merely an assemblage of presumptuous posturers or a cautionary example of the tragic results that can emerge from grievous, grovelling Groupthink? Did each of these individuals elect to be infantilized and rendered inarticulate, incoherent and inchoate in Buharis presence based on their reflexive addiction to and embrace of being dominated and ruled by him after his coup 31 years ago? Were they perhaps too rooted in the PAST to realize and recognize that CHANGE has ALREADY taken root in Nigerias democratic process under the leadership (not rulership) of President Jonathan? Or were they merely ready to take a risk with the RULES that govern the selection process for Nigerian presidents? Whatever their reason might be for carrying out such a shoddy and reprehensible job of screening they have done their principal a grave disservice and Nigeria a huge favor. The tone and tenor of discourse on the affidavit-in-lieu-of-certificates matter is being elevated and morphing from the mere presence or otherwise of verifiable certificates to the quality and integrity of the individual in question and his respect for processes, guidelines and institutions. Or otherwise. Nothing in Buharis track record indicates that he feels bound by any conventions or codes of conduct. Any doubts that may have existed in that regard were dismissed by his illegal coup. Some have queried how Buhari could have run for president 3 previous times with the matter of his missing certificates undetected. I remind them that CHANGE has ALREADY come to Nigeria in the form of the current president strengthening INSTITUTIONS like INEC so they can do a better job. Additionally, a (rare) LAW passed by the normally nominal NASS has made it a REQUIREMENT that credentials are provided by prospective candidates. Democracy is being strengthened daily in Nigeria. Even the supreme court in its wisdom recently struck down a long-standing guideline that punished students from certain states vying for places in the Unity schools. This is evidence of a nation on the march forward. Change is indeed ongoing. This entire episode regrettably exposes General Buhari as a relic from times past when he could dictate over a less self assured nation and it probably worked on 8 star-struck people in the isolated APC screening room. However among 170 million Nigerian citizens in todays 24/7 interconnected world, he does not have the privilege or monopoly of such authority anymore. Ideally, his best role of service to the nation would be to mediate between the murderous and destructive insurgents and Nigeria using what he might have retained of his military training - a role he already rejected. The entire tawdry no-credentials saga provides an opportunity to closely examine what Nigeria fundamentally wants, needs and indeed deserves? It also questions the fanfare that greeted the APCs processes leading up to their presidential primaries and casts doubts and a tainted shadow on the results that emerged. Do people wish a return to the past when different standards were set for different people and laws, rules and guidelines arbitrarily bent for certain individuals or do they wish instead to take a quantum leap or perhaps merely experience a paradigm shift forward into a future where each citizen is expected to live up to the highest standards and collective expectations? Nigerians can. perhaps, forgive Buhari if he entered the system in any of the ways that held sway in the past but in the growing nation focused on future success, merit and due process must take preeminence. By the way, Transformation is a more elegant term to substitute for the pedestrian word change and the Transformation Agenda was long in existence and functioning before others sought to plagiarize the term. Credit is due them for using a Thesaurus! - Ebi Bozimo Your Thoughts...
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 20:00:33 +0000
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