The latest attempt to bomb a prominent leader of APC,
General Buhari, out of existence, portents grave danger for the survival
of democracy, as well as Nigeria’s as a political entity. Whoever muted
the idea to lie in wait to kill General Buhari as he rode in his car on
a Kaduna road does not wish this country well. Whoever planned this
dastardly act does not wish Nigeria well and he remains Nigeria’s number
one enemy.
If those who planned the mass murder had succeeded in killing General
Buhari, the political equation and the socio-economic equilibrium in
Nigeria would have damaged beyond repairs. If the plotters of this
dangerous war had succeeded on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, we would have
played into the hands of the known extremists in Nigeria. President
Goodluck Jonathan has himself admitted that the country would have been
plunged into a war zone if General Bahari had been killed. One was glad
that the president did not go into petty and silly politics of looking
the other way as the country burns. This time President Jonathan rose to
the occasion and at once admitted that we have a big problem in our
hands. For once the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh has
maintained a dignified silence on needless partisan politics and
consequently sympathized with the retired General.
One hopes that by now the PDP-controlled Federal Government would
have returned to the drawing board to rethink about their perception on
Boko Haram. It is expected that the Federal Government will go extra
mile now to unravel the mystery behind the Boko Haram insurgents. It is
also expected that the blame game will now be put to rest. One is led to
believe that the kid gloves would have been removed for now and
concrete actions put in place to save what needs to be saved of Nigeria.
From what we all know and the information available, some concerned
Nigerians have asked the President Goodluck Jonathan and his team to
look inwards. Mr President and his team should as a matter of urgency go
back to the late General Azazi’s report on Boko Haram. For the record
purposes, General Azazi, as the President’s National Security Adviser
had wriiten a copious report that Boko Haram is a product of struggle
for power within the ruling party, PDP. Instead of looking into the
report, they conspired and sacked General Azazi with ignominy. The
General later died under mysterious and questionable circumstances.
If they had listened to General Azazi, probably things would have
been different today. If they had been wise enough to read between the
lines, the events of today would have been different. The report was put
into the waste basket. Today Nigeria has gone full circle. Now that the
chicken has come home to roost, one hopes that President Jonathan and
his team will call a spade a spade. The President must now think like a
President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. If we must dislodge Boko Haram, we need fresh
ideas, new thinking, new approach, new strategy and new plans. I think
time has come for real stakeholders’ conference on national security.
This time we need to come clean, no rhetoric, no partisan tendencies, no
name calling, no kindergarten ideas, and no cock and bull stories. We
just have to reclaim Nigeria before talking about ruling Nigeria.
I am running away with the thinking that the crisis bedevilling the
nation cannot be divorced from President Jonathan’s ambition to rule
Nigeria beyond 2015. While this inordinate ambition is being pursued
left and right, front and back, up and down, the nation is left bare at
the mercy of insurgents, and mass murderers. If the truth must be told,
Nigeria has to remain a political entity for somebody to become the
President. President Jonathan should look inwards pronto. Those who
targeted Gen Buhari may be playing real politics for President
Jonathan’s 2015 ambition. It may be right to push the blame to Boko
Haram but nobody is a political idiot here. All things considered
General Buhari remains the greatest threat to President Jonathan’s
ambition in 2015 and the handlers of Mr President know this very well.
Once Buhari is out of the way then it is walk away for the President.
But one basic truth is self evident here: General Buhari of 2003, 2007,
and 2011 is no longer the same Buhari. Time, space, and history has
strategically positioned the man differently today and woe betides
anybody who will not see the difference. He has seen it all in the
political landscape. He has fought the good fight. He has endured for
too long. A labourer deserves his pay.
Now, my honest advice is this: President Goodluck Jonathan must thank
God for his life, for moving him from nobody to somebody, from grass to
grace, from nothing to something, from nowhere to somewhere, from the
back seat to the driver’s seat ,determining the direction, setting the
agenda and call all the shots, and from the back waters to the
Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What else does the
president want? President GEJ has been a Deputy Governor, a Governor,
the Vice President, and the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. What else does he want? The greedy lots from the South South
like Govs Akpabio, Dickson, Chief Edwin Clark, Asari Dokubo, Tompolos,
and others should help President Jonathan to think. Only those who are
alive talk about oil and dollars. The dead stay dumb. We must jettison
our ambition now and think Nigeria first. Buhari must live and Nigerians
, East , West, North and South must live.
Newsrescue.com
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